Putting Quick Back in the Urgent Care Concept

In a health care system where even a slight injury or sickness can wipe out an entire workday, Dr. Bardia Anvar decided to find a way to recoup some of that lost productivity. The owner of Valley Urgent Care in Northridge has implemented a new system that treats workers quickly so they can get back to the office or shop floor. Under the Business Fast Track program, Anvar first meets with a company and establishes a relationship with management. Then, when a worker gets hurt or feels sick, the business calls the clinic and the employee moves to the front of the line upon arrival. The business benefits because the worker gets back to work sooner than taking a traditional sick day, and the worker also benefits. “If they are hourly, then every hour away from work they lose income. And if they are salaried, they fall behind in their work,” Anvar said. Of course, the program delays people already in line for treatment, so the clinic provides the patients with an estimated wait time. People can leave and return to minimize inconvenience. Although the clinic hasn’t formalized the program by signing contracts with companies, it has attracted several clients, including Keene Engineering, a mining equipment manufacturer in Chatsworth, which declined comment. Anvar said manufacturers are the firms that can benefit most from fast service, by reducing infections on minor lacerations and quickly documenting injuries for workers comp. He hopes soon to sign contracts with large employers in the program. According to the American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine, the number of quick-service medical clinics has grown 16 percent since 2008 and national health care reform, with its emphasis on cost savings, is expected to accelerate expansion. “The wait time to see a provider is typically half an hour or less, compared to a multi-hour wait time in many emergency departments,” the non-profit trade organization stated on its website. “Employers, insurers and other payers also benefit from urgent-care centers, which charge only a fraction of what an ED visit would cost.” Currently, Anvar owns a single clinic, but wants to expand to other L.A. County location if the fast-track model catches on. Narrow Networks In many ways, the ObamaCare health reform has worked in favor of insurance companies, which have seen higher revenue and profits. Bu one headache is recurring lawsuits over the “narrow network” issue. For example, a suit filed Aug. 19 by customers of Anthem Blue Cross alleges the insurer illegally moved them to new plans that limited their choice of doctors. It follows a similar suit filed in July by Consumer Watchdog, a non-profit in Santa Monica. These and other narrow network lawsuits claim consumers were misled about doctor coverage by insurance companies, resulting in big bills. Darrel Ng, a spokesman for Anthem, a Thousand Oaks subsidiary of WellPoint Inc. in Indianapolis, said the lawsuits have two main points – one regarding the type of network, and the other about specific doctors. In the switch to Obamacare-compliant plans, some members were moved from a preferred provider organization, or PPO, to an exclusive provider organization, or EPO. The exclusive network does not cover doctors outside the network, and this is clearly stated in the explanation of benefits. On the question of specific doctors, plaintiffs complained they went to see their long-time doctor, only to find out they were no longer covered by their long-time policy, resulting in large bills. Anthem attempts to keep its directory of providers current, and in reviewing it earlier this year, the majority were correct, Ng acknowledged there were some non-network providers inadvertently listed. “Overall, Anthem has added more than 6,200 doctors to our statewide exchange network since Jan. 1,” he added. “Members having an issue finding a provider should call the customer service number on the back of their ID card.” Lab Notes RGEB Employee Benefits has hired Cherise Herrmann as an account manager. At the Canoga Park health insurance agency, she will help families and small companies find affordable coverage and use benefits. Herrmann previously worked at A.A. Friss Insurance Services Inc. and Alan S. Pearstein Insurance Services Inc.; RGEB bought lines of business from them in May. … Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys has won a $100,000 grant from the California Community Foundation to fund a medication audit pilot program in the emergency room. Under the program, each ER patient’s medication orders will be compared to all of the medications that the patient has been taking to reduce the risk of duplications, omissions, dosage errors and drug interactions. … Without admitting fault, Glendale Adventist Medical Center will pay $700,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by the city of L.A. alleging that the hospital illegally discharged patients to the Skid Row section of downtown Los Angeles. The hospital also plans to change its protocols for discharging homeless patients. It will pay $500,000 in civil penalties, $100,000 for the city’s legal costs and $100,000 to the non-profit L.A. Family Housing in North Hollywood. Staff Writer Joel Russell can be reached at (818) 316-3124 or [email protected].