Tackling the High Cost of Alaskan Healthcare.

• Author: Loudon, Greg
• Position: HR MATTERS

When you read the word, "Healthcare," I bet your first thought is, "My insurance premium and out-of-pocket costs are killing me." For business owners, increasing healthcare costs are squeezing out other investments and limiting growth opportunities.

But it is not all bad news; positive things are happening too. We are Alaskans, after all. How many of us just shrug our shoulders and give up when a problem arises? Growing up in Fairbanks, I learned from my family, friends, and neighbors that when we see a problem, we craft a solution. Parker, Smith & Feek, partners with the nonprofit Pacific Health Coalition (PHC) to do just that. PHC was formed two decades ago to create opportunities for lower costs, more flexibility, and better access to healthcare.

About the Pacific Health Coalition

When it comes to saving money for Alaskans and employers throughout the Northwest, PHC is always looking for ways to innovate and provide quality care more efficiently. Their 250,000 members aggregate spending power to save a combined $500 million a year in healthcare costs.

PHC works with innovative partners like Aetna, Alaska Regional Hospital, Beacon Occupational Health, Alaska Center for ENT, Anchorage Fracture and Orthopedic Clinic, and others to ensure that their patients get the best possible care at the best possible price.

PHC hosts and manages health fairs throughout Alaska and Washington each fall. In 2018, they held nineteen health fairs in eleven cities, providing flu shots and preventive screenings to 7,000 people. Additionally, over the last few years, PHC opened primary care clinics in Fairbanks and Anchorage, reducing costs while improving access for their members and families.

Soon, the partnership between PHC and Aetna will allow small businesses to participate in and take advantage of PHC's considerable...