Reducing healthcare costs: Community uses independent doctors, services to save money for public employees

ASHTABULA, Ohio — News 5 Investigators are examining one local community’s efforts to lower healthcare costs for its public employees. They’re turning to independent doctors and businesses to help.

This investigation is a part of our commitment to following through, earlier this year we told you how hospitals, by federal regulations, have to show you the prices you’ll pay for procedures and services.

On a busy street in Ashtabula is a medical mile of sorts that has a bunch of health-related businesses on both sides. Among them is the small, independently owned Hoffman’s Pharmacy. That’s where we met up with Ashtabula school teacher Lisa Love.

SCHOOL DISTRICT SEARCHES FOR CHANGE

She told us in 2019, the district saw a big jump in healthcare costs. “Unfortunately, we had a lot of high claims, and being self-insured, it hits you in the pocketbook,” said Love.

Looking to save money, the district didn’t go to the “medical mile” for a solution but rather it veered down a small, dead-end, poorly-patched street in Ashtabula where inside a historic home a man and his team are trying to make history by patching the broken business of healthcare…