What if you could access your primary care team as much as you need—and receive a full spectrum of primary care services—for free?

It may sound impossible, but it’s the newest way we’re constantly innovating care to keep members at the center of it. Meet Core by Harbor Health. With its focus on continuity of care and a more streamlined approach, Core by Harbor Health is challenging the traditional fee-for-service healthcare model and offering a promising alternative for both people needing care and employers.

What is Core by Harbor Health?

Core by Harbor Health is an employer-sponsored direct primary care (DPC) solution that makes primary care services free to employees. Core makes it easy for members to build an ongoing relationship with their Health Team and reach their health goals without worrying about a fee-for-service payment structure. There are no hidden fees or surprise bills.

“Primary care is the key to keeping people healthy and to minimizing waste in the healthcare system,” says Harbor Health Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Clay Johnston. “DPC makes primary care easy to access, even before it’s needed. It feels like free concierge care to the employee. It's like getting a special invitation to get care whenever you need it. It makes you feel better and get healthier.”

Why Core Is Great for Members

The key difference between DPC like Core and traditional healthcare systems is that Core bypasses insurance companies for primary care, allowing for a direct relationship between the member and the provider. It provides easier access to care and more time with the clinician offering preventive and comprehensive care. By emphasizing wellness and proactive health management, DPC like Core can reduce the need for more costly interventions later, such as hospital admissions or emergency room visits.

Here’s what Core covers:

• Access to a personalized Health Team
• Same-day appointments (virtual visits and Express Care)
• Acute care for illness and injury
• Annual wellness exams
• Preventive screenings for chronic diseases and cancer
• Chronic disease management
• Sports physicals
• Certain vaccines and lab work
• Health coaching
• Referrals to specialists with proven track records of high quality care and outcomes (*specialists’ fees not included)

Why Core Is Great for Employers Care

For employers, offering Core can result in healthier employees and cost savings. Because DPC focuses on primary care and prevention, it may help reduce the need for expensive specialty care, emergency room visits, and hospital admissions. It may also reduce the frequency of missed work days due to illness.

“Employers can increase productivity and reduce cost by investing in DPC,” says Dr. Johnston. “This also allows you to unlock the elevated offerings of the Harbor Health model, which goes beyond primary care to specialty referral, health coaching, pharmacy management, and complex care management.”

Core by Harbor Health is also an excellent tool for recruitment and retention. In a competitive job market, DPC offers an attractive and more affordable alternative to traditional healthcare systems, with the added potential of significantly improved care quality.

Research Supporting Direct Primary Care like Core

An increasing amount of research highlights the benefits of the DPC model. A 2021 analysis in the National Library of Medicine reports people who had access to DPC spent twice as much time with their physician compared to those in traditional fee-for-service clinics and had lower overall healthcare costs. A 2020 Society of Actuaries report on a DPC case study revealed members had nearly a 54-percent reduction in emergency room claims and a more than 25-percent reduction in hospital admissions.

Core by Harbor Health Offers Solutions to Healthcare Challenges

We believe direct primary care represents a promising solution to many of the challenges facing the healthcare industry today. By prioritizing access, transparency, and preventive care, DPC offers a more member-centered approach that can improve health outcomes and reduce costs. Core by Harbor Health is the next step we’re taking to transform the care system – one that focuses less on sickness, and more on wellness.

Ready to find out more about Core by Harbor Health? Contact us at 855-481-8375 or click here.