Welcome to Relocalizing Health. In this episode, Dave Chase sits down with Brian Adesso, Director of Business Services for the Menasha Joint School District and President of the Employer Healthcare Cooperative of Wisconsin (EHCW), to explore how a group of Wisconsin employers, including school districts and private companies, joined forces to fight skyrocketing healthcare costs. Together, they created a cooperative model that now covers over 23,000 people and has cut out-of-pocket expenses for employees by nearly half, all in one of the highest-priced hospital markets in the nation.
Dave Chase and Brian Adesso discuss why traditional health plans were devastating school budgets, how pooling resources and ownership led to direct provider negotiations, and the powerful impact of local control. They share lessons learned from building trust, overcoming skepticism, and expanding the cooperative’s reach, along with stories about improved benefits that are making a difference for teachers, staff, and other public employees. Whether you’re a district administrator, a city manager, or a private sector employer feeling the squeeze of rising premiums, this episode breaks down practical steps and inspiration for taking ownership of healthcare in your community.
Timestamps:
00:00 Healthcare cost challenges and solutions
06:13 Concerns about AI in healthcare
06:57 Coding intensity in healthcare
10:15 Change in provider-employer relationships
15:40 Challenges of switching insurance plans
16:36 Healthcare coverage for pregnancies
20:44 Discussing community-owned health plans
23:33 Community and ownership in cooperatives
28:09 Employer Healthcare Cooperative growth story
29:15 School district healthcare solutions
Learn More:
RosettaFest 2027 - https://rosettafest.org/
Health Rosetta - http://healthrosetta.org/
Nautilus - https://www.nautilushealth.org/
Kynexions - https://kynexions.com/
Dave Chase - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chasedave/
Podcast Website - https://relocalizinghealth.com/
