EXCLUSIVE: Cisco has cut its healthcare costs by 8.5% since adding open-referral to its healthcare trust.
The network equipment giant has offered its 2,800 employees a healthcare trust, provided by Bupa, for the past eight years.
It introduced open-referral in April 2012 to help manage costs.
The initiative is designed to help employees find the right consultant for their healthcare needs, ensuring access to treatment and care, with staff usually being given a choice of two or three consultants.
Caroline Griffiths, head of HR at Cisco UK and Ireland, said: “Initiatives such as open referral have played a huge part in helping Cisco to manage its costs, as well as ensuring our employees get access to the very best healthcare.
“Healthcare is a very valuable benefit for our employees, both in terms of employee engagement and keeping our people well.
“We are very satisfied with open referral, which is used by the vast majority of our employees to find the right consultant for their condition.
“It ensures that our employees get a choice of high-quality consultants that are right for them and, as a business, it helps us to control our costs.”
