(Mower County, Minnesota) – The Mower County Board of Commissioners has approved a new employee health plan for 2025 that maintains current in-network coverage, reduces employee premium contributions and saves taxpayers 8.6% or more as compared with the renewal offered by its current health insurance carrier.

The Mower County Health Plan is administered by Self Fund Health.

Key benefits of the Mower County Health Plan for employees and their families include:

• Broader in-network coverage that includes local providers and health systems where
  employees currently receive care, as well as a national PPO network. For those who use
  in-network providers, out-of-pocket costs for care will be lower next year than they are in
  the current health plan.
• Access to $0 out-of-pocket care at HELPcare Clinic, a direct primary care (DPC) clinic in
  Austin and Rochester. This includes office visits, lab tests, minor procedures, injections,
  health coaching and more.
• Opportunities to get $0 out-of-pocket specialist and surgical services through referrals
  from HELPcare Clinic or the Self Fund Health Nurse Navigator to high-quality
  providers. The Nurse Navigator will also help plan members obtain specialty medications
  through sources that can eliminate copays.
• A pay raise for most employees because less will be withheld from their checks for
  monthly premium contributions.

The Mower County Health Plan also will save taxpayers a minimum of $675,000 as compared
with renewing the previous plan. Expected savings are $882,000 or 12.3% off the renewal.

“The Mower County Health Plan includes everything in our current plan, but with new options
for better primary care at no cost,” says Kristina Kohn, Mower County Human Resources
Director. “Our benefits committee comprised of employees unanimously recommended this plan,
and county commissioners are particularly enthusiastic about adding HELPcare Clinic
membership. As employees take advantage of the new $0 out-of-pocket options, they’ll be taking
control of long-term health plan costs.”