County Council approves Concierge Medicine partnership to expand employee health care access

The County Council unanimously approved a partnership with Concierge Medicine of Plymouth that will provide county employees and their dependents with expanded health care access while potentially saving taxpayers money.

The 7-0 vote in November supports Commissioner Jesse Bohannon's initiative to contract with the local practice after employees lost access to the Lutheran Clinic across from the hospital when it closed last year.

Under the proposed agreement, the county would pay Concierge Medicine $40 per month per adult employee, and the cost for spouses would be $40, while dependents under age 18 would cost $20 per month.  Bohannon estimated the annual cost at $130,000, which would be paid in monthly installments from the Health Care Budget.

Commissioner Bohannon said the investment should yield significant returns. "If the council sees the value in paying upfront, I'm confident that having more preventive medical opportunities would save us a lot of money in the long run," he said.

The county spent $160,000 on emergency room costs alone last year—$30,000 more than the projected annual cost of the concierge medicine program.

The partnership would provide county employees with:

• Access to three medical providers in the Plymouth office
• No co-pays for clinic visits
• No laboratory costs
• Assistance with workers' compensation cases and a
• more robust services than the previous Lutheran Clinic option

"This is a very important topic: health care accessibility, quality, and outcomes. That is the core of what my business is," said Dan Tanner, Nurse Practitioner and owner of Concierge Medicine, who initially approached the county with the proposal.

Tanner told the council, "You should see a massive reduction in your spending."

Commissioners are currently working out the final details of the agreement and transition plan with Concierge Medicine. Commissioner Bohannon said feedback from the other two commissioners indicates their willingness to move forward with the partnership.

The program is expected to launch in early 2025 once contract details are finalized.