Western Growers Assurance Trust (WGAT) has specialized in offering affordable, convenient, and customizable benefit plans to meet the diverse needs of owners, managers, field workers, and seasonal employees in the agriculture industry for more than 60 years.
Recognizing the unique population we serve, we created the Cedar Network more than a decade ago as an effective solution for employers in agriculture to offer affordable and basic health care coverage and prevention care for their employees. We began offering our Cedar Health and Wellness Centers and associated Cedar Network in every WGAT plan to deliver exceptional care options with lower copays than standard plans. We have since expanded our list of network providers and health and wellness centers throughout California. It remains a popular option, especially for employers in the agricultural community.
Our Cedar Health and Wellness Centers, located in Oxnard, Santa Maria, Salinas, and Watsonville, provide:
- Bilingual service
- Primary and preventive care
- Low cost, high-quality patient care
- Convenient hours and locations
- Minimal wait times
- Immunizations and flu shots
- Routine physicals and wellness exams
- Pediatric care for children ages 2+
Our Cedar Health and Wellness Centers are beneficial for both employers and employees by allowing significant savings in health care costs. Here are other ways our Cedar Health and Wellness Centers help contribute to lower costs:
- Gives employees convenient access to local health services and helps decrease the use of most costly urgent care centers and emergency rooms.
- Encourages employees to get their regular preventive screenings by making it easier to visit their local health center than seeing their regular doctor and for a lower copay. These screenings can also help a doctor catch potential chronic health conditions in the early stages when the treatment cost is far less than if the condition has progressed.
- Makes it easier for employees to see a physician when they have a cold or flu so they can heal quicker and be more productive and take less days off from work than if they didn’t go to see a doctor because it was less convenient.
- Enables employees to receive timely treatment for illness and injuries.
- Helps reduce the number of absences at work due to illness.
The Cedar Network is included in every WGAT health plan, and self-funded employers can purchase the network as an add-on to their health plan. For more information on purchasing a WGAT health plan, which includes the Cedar Network, please contact Western Growers Insurance Services at (800) 333-4WGA.
In addition to serving as executive vice president of Western Growers Assurance Trust, David Zanze is the president of Pinnacle Claims Management, Inc.
