Health hub in Spring will serve employers

Crossover Health, a one-stop comprehensive health and wellness center for employees at nearby companies, said Thursday it will open in Spring next week.

Already in 20 locations across the country, including four in Texas, the Crossover centers create a health care hub where employers can pay a direct membership fee to provide easy access for primary care, behavioral health and other services for workers and skip traditional insurance claims for such visits.

The Spring location, which opens Wednesday, will be housed in 5,300-square-feet and employ 15 clinicians, a spokesman for the California company said. Its anchor client will be the technology company HP with more employers in the area expected to join.

The concept is yet another example of the shifts in health care delivery in this country, as companies look for ways to cut costs while still offering employees health benefits.

Crossover was founded in 2010 and uses both on-site and “nearsite” health care centers for employers, including locations on the Apple and Facebook campus

es, a spokesman said. The idea is that if health services are easy to access, employees will be more likely to go.

While benefit packages vary, employees are not required to use the Crossover facilities if they prefer their own doctor, the company said. More complicated health issues are referred to specialists.

Participation is limited to selfinsured companies, or those that shoulder the cost of employee health care themselves and use traditional insurance companies to administer claims and negotiate with providers.

In addition to primary care, the Spring location will also offer chiropractic care and health and fitness coaching.

“Texas, which has consistently ranked as the top U.S. state for business and growth, is one of our most important markets as we continue to expand our nation footprint,” Dr. Scott Shreeve, CEO and founder of Crossover Health, said in a statement.