More families should have a $0 care option

Think about someone planning a procedure. They may be arranging time away from work, figuring out who can help at home, and wondering how they’ll pay for it. Removing their share of the medical bill can make that decision easier.

What makes this worth building is that the employer and the facility can benefit from that same decision. Through direct agreements with participating facilities, a self-funded employer plan can pay less for that care. The facility gets to care for the patient without having to chase the patient’s share of the bill.

An employer spending less on healthcare has more room to improve benefits, reduce what employees contribute, or invest in the business. The value can reach people who never need that particular care themselves.

That’s why we’re building Rubicon Health Group. We want this choice to reach as many people as possible.

It has to work in someone’s life

A $0 care option can sound like an easy decision until you’re the person making it. You may have a doctor you’ve trusted for years. The participating facility may be unfamiliar. Or you may understand the savings perfectly well and still have no way to get there.

We have to understand that. If someone isn’t using the option, there’s a reason, and we need to listen before deciding what would help. Sometimes it’s a clearer explanation. Sometimes it’s a conversation about a concern no one has asked about yet.

Having a $0 care option in a health plan is only the start. Rubicon maintains facility relationships and works alongside advisors and the teams supporting members to help people understand and use it. The value for families, employers, and facilities comes when someone gets the care they need.