Functional Medicine for Companies
As healthcare costs continue to rise, companies are searching for innovative ways to reduce expenses while improving employee well-being. Conventional approaches often focus on managing symptoms rather than addressing the root causes of chronic conditions. However, functional medicine offers an effective solution by prioritizing prevention, personalized care, and addressing underlying root causes. This proactive approach not only improves employee health outcomes but also reduces the long-term financial burden of healthcare costs for employers.
In this article, we’ll explore how functional medicine can benefit employers by fostering a healthier workforce and reducing healthcare spending costs.
Conventional vs. Functional Medicine
To better understand the benefits of functional medicine for employees, it’s important to highlight the key differences between conventional medicine and a functional approach.
Conventional Medicine
Focus: Symptom management through standardized protocols. Conventional medicine is best used for acute injuries, emergencies, or life threatening situations requiring immediate intervention.
Strengths:
- Excels in acute and emergency care, such as surgeries or trauma.
- Offers specialized expertise for specific conditions (for example: cardiology, neurology).
Limitations:
- Time constraints due to insurance-driven models often limit patient visits to 15 minutes or less.
- Tends to overlook root causes of chronic illnesses, focusing on only treating symptoms.
- Overreliance on medications can lead to side effects, ongoing health issues, and missed diagnoses.
Functional Medicine
Focus: Addressing root causes of health issues with personalized, patient-centered care. Functional medicine is ideal for managing chronic conditions, promoting overall wellness, and preventing disease.
Strengths:
- Longer appointment times allow clinicians to take an in depth health history and address all concerns.
- Uses advanced lab testing to assess hormones, gut health, nutrient levels, and more.
- Treatment plans prioritize nutrition, lifestyle modifications, and sustainable health improvements.
- Proven results: 98% of Root members report reduced symptoms and improved quality of life within the first year.
Limitations:
- Healing requires time and dedication, with results often taking months. Per case reviews at Root, most members were reducing or eliminating medications by 6 months of working together.
- Many treatments are not covered by insurance, requiring an upfront investment. By partnering directly with employers with transparent costs and reducing administrative overhead that is typical with insurance-based care, Root saves people and employers on overall costs, despite not using insurance.
Read more about the difference between conventional and functional medicine.
The Cost of Chronic Illness
An estimated 60 percent of American adults live with at least one chronic disease, while more than 40 percent manage two or more chronic conditions (1). A chronic disease is a long term health condition that typically progresses slowly and requires ongoing management. Up to 80 percent of chronic diseases, including many cases of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers, are preventable through improved diet, physical activity, and other lifestyle interventions.
For individuals, chronic illness often means a lifetime of medical appointments, prescription medications, and various specialist referrals, which can lead to significant financial strain for both individuals and employers. For example, people with diabetes spend over $12,000 annually on related medical expenses, more than double what those without diabetes pay (2).
For employers, the cost of chronic disease also accounts for lost productivity due to sick days, reduced performance, and disability claims. For example, heart disease alone is estimated to cost American companies an estimated 156 billion annually from reduced productivity (3).
Functional Medicine to Reduce Employer Healthcare Costs
Companies experience a significant financial burden from rising healthcare costs, particularly when it comes to managing chronic conditions. Functional medicine offers a proactive, root cause approach that can help reduce these costs in several ways:
Eliminating Unnecessary Referrals and Procedures
In conventional medicine, employees with unresolved symptoms are often referred from one specialist to another, leading to repeated tests, procedures, and higher costs without clear answers. Functional medicine takes a comprehensive view of health by addressing interconnected systems to uncover root causes. This reduces the need for excessive referrals and duplicate procedures, such as unnecessary repeat colonoscopies. In a pilot study, Root Functional Medicine reduced healthcare claims by 45 percent in one year.
Lowering the Cost of Chronic Disease
Chronic conditions are a major driver of healthcare spending, with costs stemming from emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and ongoing management. Functional medicine prioritizes prevention and lifestyle interventions to address and often reverse chronic conditions, reducing these costs significantly. For example, by normalizing blood sugar levels in employees with prediabetes, employers can prevent the progression to diabetes and its associated expenses.
Reducing Medication Dependence
Conventional care often relies on prescription medications to manage symptoms, leading to long term costs. Functional medicine may use medication in certain instances. However, this approach focuses primarily on personalized treatment plans that emphasize nutrition, lifestyle changes, and targeted supplements, often minimizing the need for costly prescription medications. For example, one Root member with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis was able to get off of their Otezla medication ($5,000 per month) in eight months of working with our Root doctor and dietitian. Root has hundreds of similar case stories.
Lower Lab Costs
Functional medicine labs, such as those offered at Root, are often significantly less expensive than traditional labs while providing deeper insights into chronic disease and health optimization. This cost effectiveness benefits both employers and employees, allowing for earlier interventions that prevent expensive complications and repetitive lab draws.
Key Takeaways
Functional medicine not only improves employee well-being but also reduces unnecessary healthcare spending, making it a cost effective investment for employers. Root Functional Medicine works with companies nationwide via telehealth and lab testing to offer advanced benefits and decreased healthcare costs.
Empower your employees to lead a healthier and happier life by making holistic healthcare more affordable for them. Learn more here.