ABC Action News, WFTS Tampa, reports on how one business owner, Craig Balasco of Lakeland Auto Mall, addressed the rising cost of health insurance for its employees.

So just like cars get redesigned when they have a problem, Balasco decided to go back to the drawing board to design a solution.

Instead of the dealership continuing with one of the big-name insurance companies like Blue Cross or Aetna, Liz Antaya, the dealer’s employee benefits advisor helped him create an employer-funded insurance plan.

Antaya, of Mitigate Partners, a collaborative group of experienced employee benefits advisors and creative thinkers, suggested a plan that included a DPC component.

Dr. Christopher Salud of Tampa Bay Primary Care and Sports Medicine serves as the primary care doctor for Lakeland employees, and he also provides care at the dealership every two weeks. Salud says:

It gets back to practicing medicine the way you envisioned it when you became a doctor. And it’s getting to know people, spending time with people and really helping them versus coming in and seeing, you know, patient after patient and not being able to spend time with people.

This type of employer-funded plan that includes DPC is a win-win for all.

Balasco said that savings, along with better quality health care for his staff, is why he believes he’s attracting the best employees and keeping them on staff.

“If we’re taking care of them, if we’re helping them to be healthy, if we’re helping them make good medical decisions, then our retention is got to be greater. It has to be greater,” Balasco said

Employees like Kuykendall agree.

“The quality of care that we get, I think he’s better than we’ve ever had,” he said.

A good way for DPC docs to reach businesses is to educate their local employee benefit advisors. It is encouraging to see companies like Mitigate who understand the benefits of DPC to both businesses and employees. You can also check out a virtual/and in-person conference Mitigate is offering on Demystifying Health Care Costs on June 6. One of their sessions even highlights the benefits of DPC to employers who are trying to provide the best healthcare costs to their employees.