Cost Savings

Providing the FONEMED Nurse Advice Line to your members will result in significant cost savings, for the organization paying for that member's healthcare, for the member's employer, and for the member himself/herself.

Payers

The insurance company, or other group paying for a member's healthcare, can expect to see savings of $2 to $4 for every dollar invested in a Nurse Advice program.  The exact savings depends on program utilization, which in turn is dependant on how actively the program is marketed.  

FONEMED asks all callers what they would have done if they had not had access to our Nurse Advice Line, and this is reported back to clients along with what the final recommendation of the Nurse to those individuals.   By comparing original inclination and final dispositions, theoretical cost savings can be ascertained.  We then work with client organizations to analyze internal data to compute actual cost savings.

For all of our capitated clients from 2004 through 2007, FONEMED's redirection statistics were as follows (based on callers who indicated an inclination - i.e. not including callers who stated "I don't know" or declined to state an inclination):

• 32% of callers said that they would have gone to the Emergency Room or Urgent Care Center or called 911.  Of these:
  • 23% were redirected to scheduled visits at their physicians' offices.
  • 19% were directed to home care.
• 68% of callers said that they would have called or gone to see their physician.  Of these:
  • 26% were directed to home care.

Employers and Members

By redirecting members from Emergency Departments and Physician Visits to Home Care or more appropriately-timed care, members are away from work less often, generating cost savings for employers.  Members will have fewer co-pays (based on fewer healthcare visits), and spend less less time in unnecessary transit to healthcare facilities.

Employers with an actively-marketed Nurse Advice programs can also realize decreased employee turnover.  Once employees use the nurse line once, they rely on it for answers to all of their healthcare questions, and it becomes a major resource in keeping that employee's family members healthy.  

For more information on cost savings, please contact Jane Gibson at FONEMED at (786) 573-0107 or (888) 366-3633.