Northern Minnesota employers just got another health care company to consider when deciding who to purchase healthcare insurance from.
Wilderness Health and PreferredOne recently partnered to create Wilderness Health ACO, offering a lower-priced employer health care plan to the area.
Wilderness Health is a collaborative of independent providers working together to improve health care in northern Minnesota. It is headquartered in Two Harbors.
PreferredOne is a flexible health plan administrator located in Golden Valley. For self-funded employers, PreferredOne can match a company’s existing design or make recommendations to help rein in costs.
The plan features 10 regional hospitals, including North Shore Health in Grand Marais, St. Luke’s, Fairview Range, Cook and 30 primary care clinics in northeastern Minnesota.
ACOs on average are 15 percent less expensive than open access network products.
According to Cassandra Beardsley, executive director of Wilderness Health, “The plan features the hospitals, clinics and doctors in the communities where your employees live and work. There’s value in keeping health care local. To do that well, we need a sustainable model that aims to lower costs and increase quality of care. Wilderness Health ACO delivers dozens of plan designs at a fair price for full insured and self-insure employers.”
Members will have plenty of choices. Employees can choose the ACO network and see immediate savings on their premiums. They can visit any provider within the Wilderness network. Employees can also choose an open access option for statewide coverage since most employers offer the plan options side-by-side. In either case, the networks include Minnesota’s best regarded specialty physicians for complex or critical care. Employers also have the choice to add a travel network or coast-to-coast coverage — an advantage for families with students who attend out-of-state colleges.
“ACOs are PreferredOne’s fastest growing care model in Minnesota,” said Fride Mauritzen of PreferredOne. “The plan coordinates member care to manage chronic conditions and minimize inappropriate or excessive procedures. We have data to prove how effectively the model reduces costs and improves healthcare quality.
“Employees appreciate ACOs, too,” she continues. “They receive a welcome call to begin building a relationship with Wilderness Health ACO. We introduce ourselves, answer questions, help them find nearby network providers and transfer medical records if necessary. The point is to connect personally and let members know we’re always here for them.”
Leave a Reply