Northwell Direct today announced that it has been selected by Northwell Health to supply the provider network for the health system’s 2022 health care benefits for approximately 75,000 employees and dependents.¹ Northwell Direct is a for-profit entity which delivers direct-to-employer solutions for all types of businesses. This marks the first time the state’s largest private employer has chosen direct network contracting, a health benefits approach that enables businesses to offer their workforce access to high-quality care without engaging with a traditional insurance company.

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Northwell Health, New York’s largest private employer, is sidestepping traditional insurance companies for health care benefits offered to much of its workforce and dependents. Photo credit: Northwell Health

In a move designed to control costs while providing unfettered access to top-notch care, Northwell Direct’s selective network was constructed specifically to meet the needs of employers with employees and dependents in the tristate area. Northwell Direct, Northwell Health’s affiliated, direct-to-employer company, will also make robust care management programs available to plan participants. Such programs can navigate participants through their health care needs, helping to prevent gaps in care in order to avoid potentially dangerous and expensive exacerbations.

“We are excited that Northwell Health has chosen Northwell Direct to supply a robust provider network for its employees and dependents,” said Nick Stefanizzi, CEO of Northwell Direct. “This represents the latest evolution in our efforts to partner with employers large and small in order to provide access to outstanding care at a more sustainable price point. With our direct-to-employer network contracting model, we’re proud to give businesses the opportunity to increase ease and efficiency while engaging a provider network that’s unrivaled for quality.”

Since Northwell Direct launched in 2020, it has provided a wide variety of customizable health care programs and services to large national and regional employers. It works with JetBlue Airways to provide a comprehensive set of COVID-19 solutions for the airline’s local workforce. It teams with Whole Foods Market, providing team members in the tristate area a primary care network that delivers medical care that is holistic and lifestyle-based, at a low cost. Other off-the-shelf and customizable services provided by Northwell Direct include on-site and near-site health clinics, clinical concierge services, occupational health and workforce safety solutions and a broad range of other options.

“As a health care system that is also the largest private employer in New York State, Northwell Health has a unique perspective on the importance of providing employees easy access to the highest quality medical care while also keeping costs manageable and predictable,” said Joe Moscola, PA, Northwell Health’s executive vice president, enterprise services. “By avoiding the need for a traditional insurance company and partnering directly with Northwell Direct, we believe we can increase quality of care and improve user experience while reducing the burden of health care costs.”

Northwell Direct’s provider network comprises nearly 20,000 physicians in the New York metropolitan area, including not just Long Island, Queens, Staten Island, Brooklyn and Manhattan but also New Jersey and Bronx and Westchester counties. Northwell Health has chosen Brighton Health Plan Solutions (BHPS) as its third-party administrator (TPA) to handle the processing of claims and customer service for its employee health plan. A wrap-around network is available for employees or dependents who need to access care out of state, as may be important for a family member attending college outside New York and New Jersey.

“Human resource officers know the importance of offering a competitive benefits program that can attract and retain talented employees,” said Maxine Carrington, senior vice president and chief human resources officer for Northwell Health. “The direct-to-employer option is a powerful new way for businesses to maximize the quality of their benefits program while controlling costs.”

About Northwell Direct

Owned by Northwell Health, New York State’s largest health care provider and private employer, Northwell Direct uses an integrated health care management approach to help employers bend the cost curve, improve productivity and keep their employees and customers healthy. It brings together Northwell Health’s expertise in occupational health, infectious disease, workforce safety, employee benefits and wellness best-practices to provide employee health plan solutions and a broad range of customized services to employers across industries, including retailers, schools, sporting and entertainment venues and others throughout the tri-state area. For more information on Northwell Direct, visit Northwell.edu/direct. For information on Northwell Health’s more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu and follow us @NorthwellHealth on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

¹ Northwell Direct’s provider network is provided through Northwell Direct Administrative Services Organization, Inc.

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