A group of Fond du Lac employers have banded together to reduce health care costs for their employees. And it’s working.

When many employers are facing 6%-12% annual increases to their health care costs, these 11 companies have seen their health care costs decline by an average of 1.1% per year for the past 3 years.

The 11 companies, which together represent a total of 1,000 employees, are taking advantage of some unique opportunities that the Fond du Lac marketplace offers. “There is real power in local collaboration among employers, health care providers, and business partners. In Fond du Lac, we have a very unique health care delivery system that employers in other parts of the state can’t match [in terms of results],” said Jeff Butz, Executive Director of Fond du Lac Area Business on Health (FABOH).”

So, what exactly is going on in Fond du Lac? Several local organizations – FABOH (Fond du Lac Business on Health), Novo Health, and Health Payment Systems – have joined forces with these 11 employers to reinvent the healthcare experience and payment system.

FABOH is not a new organization, but it has been gaining more traction with its members since it partnered with these other organizations to transform the health care supply chain in Fond du Lac. And its members are excited about the possibility of adding other high-performing employers to this rally.

Butz added, “What’s on the horizon for the FDL business community couldn’t have us any more optimistic. There are unique opportunities exclusive to our area that simply can’t be had elsewhere, and we’re excited to see how many more businesses can rally behind this. If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that you can’t truly make a dent in the health care supply chain acting alone. We now have the right partners that are helping us truly shake up a broken system.”

The group of 11 employers has saved $1.15 million on complex care situations over the last 3 years.  But saving money isn’t the only thing they’re doing. They are effectively rebuilding the health care experience for their employees.

“When your health care costs are going down when everyone else’s are going up, it becomes quite a competitive advantage for your company,” adds Jeff Schultz, Employee Benefits Practice Leader at HNI Risk Advisors.

NOTE: FABOH will host a webinar, Fond du Lac health care success discussion, on March 2, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. To learn more, please visit this link:https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IMrlE7txTgWQOYCnizq8_g