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Transforming Healthcare with Direct Primary Care

February 7th, 2025 by

THE WHAT

In the evolving landscape of employer-sponsored health plans, direct primary care (DPC) has emerged as one of the more important solutions. By offering personalized, relationship-driven care, DPC addresses gaps in traditional healthcare models while delivering long-term cost savings and improved health outcomes.

Unlike fee-for-service models that incentivize quantity over quality, DPC operates on a membership-based structure. This allows primary care providers to focus on prevention, early intervention, and long-term care—key factors in reducing healthcare costs and enhancing the quality of patient care.

THE WHY

Employers investing in DPC realize benefits across multiple dimensions:

Cost Savings:

  • Employers implementing DPC report a 15-30% reduction in overall healthcare costs (Milliman, 2020; Gold Standard Report, 2021).
  • Improved management of chronic conditions and reduced reliance on expensive emergency and specialty care contribute to long-term savings (Health Affairs, 2019).
  • DPC providers can navigate members to directly contracted care solutions for commonly used services such as outpatient surgeries and procedures, imaging, and physical therapy – driving towards better care, at a better cost.

Enhanced Access and Engagement:

  • DPC offers same-day or next-day appointments, longer visit times, and 24/7 provider availability.
  • Patients are more likely to complete preventive care, reducing the incidence of costly health crises.

Improved Health Outcomes:

  • With more time and resources to address patient needs, DPC providers excel at managing chronic conditions, driving better outcomes, and fostering healthier lifestyles.

THE HOW

There are several DPC models – including independent practices, on-site or near-site, and some entirely virtual options. The right model for a given employer depends on many factors – however, once the right partner is selected, employers should work to:

Integrate DPC into Existing Benefits:

  • Ensure seamless coordination with high-deductible health plans and/or wrap-around insurance networks.

Incentive Utilization 

  • Most employers remove co-pays and waive deductibles in order to provide their members with access to free, high-quality primary care.

Communicate, Communicate, Communication

  • Educate employees first on the importance of primary care, and then on how DPC provides better access, a higher quality of care, and more personalized healthcare.

A Foundation for Long-term Health & Risk Management

Direct primary care is redefining how healthcare is delivered and experienced in employer-sponsored plans. By prioritizing patient relationships, preventive care, and long-term health, DPC offers a sustainable, high-impact solution to rising healthcare costs and employee health challenges. There is arguably no better, more valuable investment employers can make in their people’s health and the future of their own health plans.

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Is your business protected from a cyber attack?

March 24th, 2023 by

In today’s digital age, businesses of all sizes rely on technology to enhance their efficiency and productivity. However, as our reliance on technology increases, so does the risk of cyber attacks.

What is a cyber attack?

A cyber attack is an attempt to disrupt, damage or gain unauthorized access to a computer system, network or electronic device. These attacks can result in the loss of sensitive data, financial losses, damage to reputation, and even a complete shutdown of business operations. Cyber attacks can be devastating to any business, large or small.

Many businesses prioritize efficiency over security, which leaves them vulnerable to cyber attacks. Cutting corners to increase efficiency can lead to security vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can exploit. It is crucial for businesses to understand that security and efficiency go hand in hand. It is important to find a balance between the two, where security is not compromised for efficiency.

What can I do?

There are three ways to deal with the threat of cyber attacks: prevent, mitigate, and transfer.

Prevention is the most effective way to combat cyber attacks. Businesses can take proactive steps such as implementing strong passwords, encrypting sensitive data, and regularly updating software to prevent cyber attacks. Another important aspect of prevention is employee training. Businesses can train their employees to prevent cyber attacks by educating them on how to identify and avoid common phishing scams, how to create strong passwords, and how to keep their devices and software up-to-date. Resources such as online training courses, webinars, and workshops can be utilized to educate employees on cybersecurity best practices. Two resources we recommend are KnowBe4 and NINJIO.

Mitigation involves taking steps to reduce the damage caused by a cyber attack. This includes having a plan in place to respond quickly to an attack, identifying and isolating the affected system, and restoring data from backups.

Transferring the risk involves purchasing cyber insurance to protect your business from financial losses resulting from a cyber attack.

What type of cyber insurance is available?​

There are different types of policies available, and it is essential to choose the right one for your business. Cyber insurance can provide coverage for expenses incurred due to data breaches, network interruptions, and cyber extortion. It can also cover the costs of legal fees, forensic investigations, and public relations efforts to repair a damaged reputation.

At Lacher, we understand the risks associated with cyber attacks and the importance of protecting your business. We offer cyber insurance policies that are tailored to meet the specific needs of your business. Our team of experts can work with you to assess your risks and provide you with the best insurance solution to protect your business. We are committed to helping our clients safeguard their business against the ever-increasing threat of cyber attacks.

Let us help you!

Contact us today to see how we might be able to create a cyber strategy for your business.

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6 Cost-cutting Tips for Small Businesses

February 20th, 2023 by

Employers of all sizes are currently searching for ways to reduce expenses and save money in response to the current economic downturn and ongoing labor challenges. Instead of cutting costs randomly or conducting unnecessary layoffs, successful organizations tend to optimize their resources by identifying areas where they can reduce expenses without compromising productivity or future growth. While cutting costs is essential for any organization, it’s especially important for small businesses since they tend to have fewer resources than larger employers.

Here are six tips to help your small business cut costs:

1. Invest in New Technology

Adopting new technology can bolster efficiency and create savings for small businesses. Investing in technology can help reduce costs by streamlining operations and allowing small businesses to operate more efficiently. Technology enables employers to improve or even automate manual and error-prone tasks.

2. Strengthen Employee Retention

Prioritizing employee retention can be one of the most effective cost-cutting strategies for small businesses. Replacing workers is often extremely expensive. Employee turnover not only increases an organzation’s recruiting and training costs but also usually results in decreased productivity, lost proficiency and reduced profits.

3. Manage Health Care Costs

It’s not a secret that employer health care costs are rising. Finding cost-effective solutions is vital for small businesses to maintain affordable benefits and reduce costs. Solutions may include reevaluating plan designs and offerings, directing employees to cost-effective services and improving employee health care literacy. Employers can leverage their relationship with their insurance brokers to explore cost-saving solutions, like obtaining details on organizational health care spending and educating employees on shopping for health care services. By adopting several cost-cutting strategies, small businesses can better manage health care costs without sacrificing employees’ needs.

4. Embrace Outsourcing

While performing tasks in-house can often be cost-effective, there are instances when outsourcing nonessential tasks can be more economical. Manual, time-consuming tasks—such as payroll and benefits administration—may be better suited for outsourcing for some organizations. Outsourcing these kinds of tasks can enable employees to focus on more important responsibilities that have a greater and more direct impact on a small business’s bottom line and future growth.

5. Adopt Flexible Work Arrangements

The expense of having a physical workspace can add up. Each month, employers must pay rent, utilities, cleaning costs and other expenses. While these expenses are often unavoidable, some small businesses are transitioning to home-based businesses or remote and hybrid work arrangements to cut costs. These solutions may not be suitable for all industries or job positions, but small businesses of all kinds can explore ways to offer flexible scheduling and improve benefits, like enhanced leave and paid time off, to lower overhead expenses. If converting to a home-based business or going remote isn’t possible, employers can consider downsizing their facilities to reduce their rent and utility bills. Small businesses can also explore other alternatives, such as co-working arrangements and renegotiating their leases, to reduce rent.

6. Review Expenses

Poor cash flow can strain and even jeopardize an organization’s longevity. Reviewing expenses regularly can be an effective way to reduce and eliminate unnecessary costs. As part of the review process, employers can negotiate with providers, suppliers and vendors, such as banks and landlords, to potentially defer payments, reduce fees, improve rates and receive additional services to help during difficult times. By establishing and fostering relationships with these individuals and entities, organizations can cultivate allies and acquire strategic partners, which can pay dividends by creating cost-savings solutions and opportunities.

Summary

Effective strategies for cutting costs will likely vary for each small business. However, by planning properly and understanding effective cost-cutting approaches, small businesses can identify and reduce the costs that will have the most impact on their organizations. This can help small businesses bolster their financial stability, optimize their resources and position themselves for future growth.

For more workplace resources, contact us today. 

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Summer Hours

We will be closing at 3:00 pm on Fridays from June 6th through September 5th. However, we are still available by phone, text, or email during those times. 

Office Closed

Our office will be closed today, June 19th, from 8 am – 1 pm for a company event.

We look forward to serving you when the event concludes. Thank you!

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