By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    stress management for healthcare workers
    3 Tips For Healthcare Professionals: How To Stay Beautiful, Healthy, and Happy
    November 2, 2021
    importance of relaxing on the weekend for your health
    Importance of Relaxing During the Weekend for Optimal Health
    March 25, 2022
    LASIK Eye Surgery
    What Is LASIK Eye Surgery?
    May 16, 2022
    Latest News
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    The Hidden Impact Of Stress On Your Body’s Alignment And Balance
    May 22, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    The PCMH and Home Care Data: An Interview with Melissa McCormack
    December 19, 2013
    IT Strategy for Health Plans: Interview with ikaSystems CEO Joe Marabito
    August 11, 2014
    A New Kind of Stress Test
    May 26, 2015
    Latest News
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
    Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
    June 25, 2025
    When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
    June 20, 2025
    Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
    June 15, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Walmart, Lowe’s Offer Employees No-Cost Joint Replacements at 4 Hospitals
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Health Reform > Walmart, Lowe’s Offer Employees No-Cost Joint Replacements at 4 Hospitals
Health ReformPolicy & Law

Walmart, Lowe’s Offer Employees No-Cost Joint Replacements at 4 Hospitals

Deanna Pogorelc
Deanna Pogorelc
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

joint replacementsFirst published on MedCityNews.

joint replacementsFirst published on MedCityNews.

Walmart and Lowe’s are no strangers to trying new approaches to reducing their healthcare costs. This time the two mega-employers having joined other companies and a non-profit coalition to provide financial incentive for employees to choose high-quality providers for their joint replacement surgeries.

Companies that are part of the newly formed Employers Centers of Excellence Network will offer partial and total hip and knee replacements to employees for no cost. That is, if employees have their surgeries at one of the four selected “high-quality” providers: Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore; Kaiser Permanente Orange County Irvine Medical Center in Irvine, California; Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Missouri; or Virginia mason Medical Center in Seattle.

More Read

The Olympics, Doctors, the NHS, Transformation and Heroes: Why the Difference between the USA and UK? Part II
Preventive Medicine, Home Health & ACOs
More Medical Monopoly-Yes, Medical Bills Are Killing Us!
What is Self-Management?
Improving Patient Experience With Personalized Service

Under the arrangement, the procedures are covered for employees and their dependents 100 percent, without deductible or coinsurance. The company also pays travel, lodging and living expenses for the employee and a caregiver. Employees can still go to different providers to have joint replacements if they choose, but they’ll be subject to the usual copays and deductibles according to their plan.

The underlying business model, according to David Lansky of Pacific Business Group on Health, is to incentivize patients to seek care at providers with a proven track record. That way, they’re more likely to have better outcomes, get back to work quicker, avoid complications and readmissions, and, over the long run, save money.

Pacific Business Group on Health is a non-profit coalition promoting value-based purchasing in healthcare, and it’s overseeing the Employers Centers of Excellence Network along with healthcare management company Health Design Plus. An executive committee of representatives from participating employers is also driving the decision-making.

The four “centers of excellence” were chosen through an elaborate process that included RFPs, site visits and deep dives into clinical performance measures, Lansky said. Specifically, the groups looked at measures like infection rates and frequency of reoperations, not only among facilities but among individual surgeons, to find the best quality providers.

Then, they negotiated. Under the arrangement, the four centers will provide bundles of services around hip and knee replacements at fixed prices for the employers. Those specific prices weren’t available to Lansky but are likely to be around the national average for those procedures.

“Employers are concerned about the variation in quality of care in price in the community,” Lansky reiterated.

Randy Moon, vice president of international human resources for Lowe’s, said in a statement that this kind of arrangement is especially important for employees who live in areas underserved by high quality healthcare providers.

Lowe’s initiated a similar arrangement with Cleveland Clinic in 2010 under which it paid for 100 percent of employees’ heart surgeries if they traveled to the clinic to have them done. A company spokesperson pronounced the deal a “home run” just six months later.

WalMart, too, has already ventured into the land of fixed, bundled payments. It covers certain heart, spine and transplant procedures for employees and their dependents at six “centers of excellence” including Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic.

The growing trend seems to be a win-win-win for employers, employees and providers, who likely enjoy the steady stream of business that comes from these arrangements. It’s still relatively new, though, so Lansky said the group will be collecting data and continuing to learn moving forward.

PBGH didn’t name other employers involved in the deal, but said that even more were expected to join early next year.

TAGGED:joint replacementLowe'sWalmart
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

9 Lifestyle Tweaks That Can Add Years to Your Life
9 Healthcare Lifestyle Tweaks That can Add Years to Your Life
lifestyle
July 11, 2025
car accident lawsuit
Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
Policy & Law
July 6, 2025
women dental care
What Is a Smile Makeover and How Much Does It Cost?
Dental health
June 30, 2025
HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps
Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
June 25, 2025

You Might also Like

Image
Public HealthWellness

UnitedHealth Group’s JOIN for ME Engages the Entire Family through Workplace Wellness

June 14, 2012
obamacare
BusinessHealth ReformPolicy & LawPublic Health

Repealing ObamaCare, Cutting Taxes and Gutting Social Programs Isn’t Pro-Growth

October 23, 2013

The California Health Benefit Insurance Exchange

March 23, 2012
Health system obstacles
eHealthHealth ReformPolicy & LawPublic HealthSocial Media

Improving the US Health System: Biggest Obstacles

May 23, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?