More U.S. employers are moving beyond insurance and into direct care delivery—opening on-site or near-site medical clinics to improve access, cut ER overuse and control rising health costs, The Washington Post writes.
Third-party providers like Premise Health and Marathon Health now operate hundreds of employer clinics nationwide, providing same-day care, labs, virtual visits and ongoing primary care relationships.
Nearly half of employers surveyed by Business Group on Health now offer on-site clinics. Adoption is expanding across industries and is especially valuable for workforces with low access to traditional care.
Challenges remain: upfront cost, employee trust, and current HSA rules that restrict free primary care. But employers pushing these models say the benefit is becoming a major talent tool—and in some documented cases—potentially lifesaving.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated since original publication.
