What if Your Health Plan Actually Helped Your Employees Get Care?

By Lee Aase • June 4, 2026

Health care costs keep going up.

Wages aren’t keeping up.

And in southeastern Minnesota, employers are often paying 60-70% more than employers in the Twin Cities for the same health insurance plan.

If you’re an HR leader, CFO, CEO, business owner, city administrator, county commissioner, school district leader or benefits decision-maker, you already know the problem.

Every year, you get the renewal.

Every year, it’s more expensive.

And every year, the “solution” usually means one of three things:

  • Higher premiums
  • Higher deductibles
  • More cost shifted to employees

In the old system, your employees have “coverage” but still hesitate to get care because they don’t know what it will cost.

In a better model, they can get the primary care they need with $0 out of pocket for visits and lab tests.

No surprise bills.

No deductible anxiety.

No wondering whether getting care will wreck the family budget.

That’s why I’m excited that HELPcare Clinic is a sponsor of Building a Better Employer Health Plan, a FREE educational event from the Minnesota Chapter of the Free Market Medical Association.

Why This Matters Now

Employers are tired of being told there are no good options.

Employees are tired of paying more and getting less.

And local governments, school districts and counties are under the same pressure as private businesses: provide good benefits, be responsible stewards, and somehow make the numbers work.

Mower County and the City of Austin have both taken action by developing health plans built around HELPcare Clinic membership.

That means their covered employees can access primary care and lab tests at $0 out of pocket.

That means care becomes easier to use.

That means problems can be addressed earlier.

That means the health plan is designed to serve the employer and the employee — not just feed the insurance machine.

The Old Way vs. A Better Way

The old way:

  • You pay a big premium.
  • Your employees still face deductibles, copays and confusion.
  • They delay care.
  • Small problems become bigger problems.
  • And next year’s renewal punishes everyone.

A better way:

  • You buy care more directly.
  • You remove financial barriers to primary care.
  • You make pricing more transparent.
  • You align incentives around better outcomes.
  • You give employees a practical path to care before the ER, urgent care or specialist referral becomes the default.

That’s not theory.

It’s happening here.

What You’ll Learn

This event is built for employers, not for health care insiders.

You’ll learn how local and national employers are rethinking health care by cutting out waste, buying care directly and aligning incentives around better outcomes.

The agenda includes:

  • How to build a plan that benefits your business, not an insurance carrier’s bottom line
  • Why every employer should consider Direct Primary Care
  • How a conservative care pathway, including physical therapy, can reduce costs and improve access
  • Why pharmacy is broken, and what transparent alternatives look like
  • How employers can take action, including insight from a former HR leader

That last point matters.

Because this isn’t just about ideas.

It’s about action.

Who Should Attend?

You should be in the room if you help make benefits decisions for an organization with 50 to 500 (or more) employees.

That includes:

  • HR leaders
  • CFOs
  • CEOs
  • Business owners
  • City administrators
  • County leaders
  • School district leaders
  • Public sector benefit decision-makers
  • Board members and elected officials who want a better option for taxpayers and employees

You don’t need to be a health plan expert.

You just need to be tired of the same old renewal conversation.

Event Details

Building a Better Employer Health Plan
A Free Market Medical Association Chapter Event

Wednesday, August 5, 2026
1:00–5:00 p.m.

Haley Center, 2nd Floor Seminar Room
3708 Broadway Ave. N
Rochester, MN

The event is FREE, but seats are limited. Get yours.

Take Charge

Health benefits are usually one of the biggest expenses on your budget.

They’re also one of the most important ways you care for your people.

So the question isn’t whether you should care about your health plan.

The question is whether your current plan is actually helping your employees get the care they need.

Mower County and the City of Austin are showing that employers don’t have to just accept the old system.

You can build something better.

You can make care easier to access.

You can reduce fear around cost.

You can give employees primary care with $0 out of pocket for visits and lab tests.

And you can do it in a way that makes financial sense.

Join us August 5 in Rochester.

Reserve your spot on Eventbrite.

Then bring your questions, your renewal pain, and your willingness to Take Charge!

If you have questions about the event, call our HELPcare corporate sales line at (507) 512-7919.

Lee Aase

Lee Aase is the founder of HELPcare LLC, which provides comprehensive membership, marketing and management services for provider-owned HELPcare Clinics, as well as metabolic health education and coaching for people interested in restoring health and reversing disease through lifestyle changes. Lee and his wife Lisa live in Austin, MN and have six married children and 19 grandchildren.
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