Local unions lead the way bringing innovative, affordable healthcare to their members

Fourth union partners with Everside Health to provide members with free primary and mental healthcare

The Greater St. Louis Construction Laborers’ Welfare Fund — Locals 42 and 110 — has joined Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 513, Heat & Frost Insulators Local 1, and Cement Mason’s Local 527 in teaming up with Everside Health to reduce healthcare costs and improve healthcare access and outcomes for the thousands of local union members and families they represent.

Everside Health provides members access to “concierge” doctors – direct primary care (DPC) personalized medical service providers – and is funded entirely by a flat fee paid by paid by participating unions for their insured members.

Members of participating unions incur no copays or out-of-pocket expenses when they go to see an Everside provider. Some medicines, routine diagnostic tests, labs, and immunizations are also included free of charge.

“As trustees, it’s our fiduciary responsibility to take actions that are in the best financial interests of our participants, as well as the Fund,” said Tim Sappington, president and business manager of IUOE Local 513. “We see the Everside offering as a great benefit to our participants because it promises to save them money on healthcare costs.”

PROVEN EFFECTIVENESS
DPC has been quickly growing in recent years because of its proven effectiveness in helping organizations contain skyrocketing healthcare costs without compromising quality or service. Unlike traditional health benefits involving deductibles and copays, DPC models charge a flat fee and provide workers with unlimited access to primary care services.

“It’s all part of the unions’ strategy to remain competitive in a tight labor market and to better control chronic health conditions that are eating away at the financial health of union funds,” said Ryan Moore, Senior Vice President of Sales for Everside.

ADDITIONAL CLINICS, VIRTUAL ACCESS
Everside is in the process of building three additional clinics in Washington and Festus, Mo. and Fairview Heights, Ill., all of which are expected to open in the second quarter of this year. Currently, there are five Everside Health clinics around St. Louis in South County, St. Peters, Creve Coeur, Florissant and Chesterfield.

Everside also offers virtual access for all members with the “Everside Everywhere^™ mobile app, which keeps members connected to their care teams with the ability to directly text questions and concerns, do video visits, order prescription refills and more. In stark contrast to average waiting times for most primary care providers in the region, Everside touts same-day and next-day scheduling.

‘OUR MEMBERS ARE WORKING PEOPLE’
“Our members are working people, so the convenience of being able to make an appointment quickly and get in to see the doctor without the long waits that are typically experienced at the various walk-in clinics around town, is extremely valuable,” said Sappington.

Everside serves more than 35 unions across the U.S., representing more than 150,000 members and their families. The company has been able to help its union clients realize significant savings in claims costs, while providing an amazing member benefit. On average, unions working with Everside have realized savings of 17 percent by year three and 31 percent by year five.

For more information about Everside’s success working with unions, visit www.eversidehealth.com/unions or call 844-205-6403.