Attention to needed exams not a budget buster
Even though the City of Indianapolis occupational health program tries to perform as many necessary tests as possible with each patient visit, the emphasis on testing does not have to increase costs. In fact, the system can save money, says Steven Moffatt, MD, medical director for the City of Indianapolis.
"If the respirator exam costs $125 and the additional stuff we provide is 25% more, the patient and the employer are getting a lot of additional value for not much more expense," he says. "We screen them to make sure we’re not repeating tests unnecessarily, but we do an inventory of they should have done at some point. If they need them, we’ll get them done in a single visit rather than trying to wait for another visit or burning off work time by having them come later."
Many employees stay for decades
For municipal employees, it might be easier to convince the employer of the benefits of preventive medicine. Unlike many employees in other professions, many municipal employees stay in the same career for decades and it is not unusual for them to stay with the same employer for decades.
"Every dollar invested in trying to prevent a major catastrophic disease can afford them the opportunity to continue in their careers," he says. "The employer spends a great deal of money on training and recruiting these people, so it just makes sense to try to keep them as long as possible."
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