Take Charge of Your Employee Health Care

HELPcare Clinic enables southern Minnesota employers of any size to improve primary care access and quality with $0 out-of-pocket care for their employees and their dependents.

And those currently offering employer-sponsored health insurance can also reduce monthly premiums and prevent the double-digit renewal increases that have become so common.

When Dr. Dave Strobel and I got together for coffee six years ago this month, he told me about the clinic at which he was working, which was run by the Minnesota Pipe Trades Welfare Fund. It provided an impressive array of primary care services to union members and their families, with unhurried appointments, lab tests and more at $0 out-of-pocket cost. I also had heard of large employers creating clinics that were only for employees and dependents.

This is what inspired me to think, "Wouldn't it be great if we could have a clinic like that in Austin, but in which anyone could buy a membership to get this kind of care without having to worry about the bill, not just those in a particular union or who work for a large employer?"

That's how we got started in developing the concept that has become HELPcare Clinic.

When we opened in Austin in February 2022, most of our members were individuals and families who purchased membership for themselves. But part of the vision Dr. Strobel and I had was to enable smaller employers to provide this membership experience for their employees, especially those employers who had not been able to afford to offer a full health insurance plan.

Jon Boyer, President of Precision Signs, was among the first area employers to see and seize this opportunity to provide employees and their families most of the care they need for a fraction of the cost of a full employee health insurance plan, as he describes in this new video:

Now we're in Rochester, too, and planning to expand to other communities in southern Minnesota.

Here are two ways you can take charge of your employee health care with HELPcare Clinic:

1. Our corporate membership plan offers the full HELPcare Premier experience at a reduced rate that we offer to employers with as few as three employee members. It's a great way to provide a meaningful health benefit at an affordable cost.
2. Our Health Insurance with HELPcare plans combine HELPcare Premier $0 out-of-pocket membership benefits with a self-funded or level-funded employer-sponsored health plan. The plan pays the HELPcare dues out of savings that result from employees and their families getting much of their care at HELPcare Clinic instead of in the more expensive hospital-based clinics.

Health Insurance with HELPcare isn't only for large employers: we started by helping a 10-employee firm save 22% in their first year as compared with renewing their old plan.

But for larger employers, it can mean savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars: Mower County, with more than 300 employees and a similar number of dependents, avoided a 12% renewal increase this year through its HELPcare-based plan and has mechanisms in place to reduce claims and ward off future large increases. Here's what Mower County HR Director Kris Kohn had to say about the program:

What you can do:

• If you're an employer, or are involved in selecting health benefits in your workplace, now's the time to explore how you can provide better benefits at lower cost for your employees. With our $0-out-of-pocket membership plan they'll actually get the care they need instead of avoiding it due to their high deductible. Learn more about our options, or call our membership line at 507-418-8465 and we'll discuss how you and your employees can save.
• If you're an employee, pass this post along to your employer! Or check out our retail membership options for individuals and families.

At HELPcare Clinic our passion is building relationships

• with our members to HELP them take charge of their health;
• with employers to help them take charge of their employee health costs, and
• with physicians and other practitioners to help them take charge of their health care careers.

Learn more through our Take Charge with HELPcare podcast.

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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.