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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: No laughing matter ... Council Corner: The view from under the bus ... Discounted season ski tickets on sale ... Our View: No laughing matter ... Council Corner: The view from under the bus ... Discounted season ski tickets on sale ... OUR VIEW Our View: Healthy savings add up Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Sep. 10, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Sep. 10, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Taking charge of one's own health rather than leaving it up to chance is a popular sentiment these days. And when it comes to health insurance, businesses and other employers that purchase group plans are applying that approach, saving substantial amounts of money in the process. The Ashland School District made the jump to a partially self-insured plan that incorporates preventative care and wellness activities five years ago. So far, the district has saved nearly $10 million over what it would have spent for the Oregon Educators Benefits Board plan, which covers most school districts in the state. The district's cost dropped 1.4 percent over the five-year period while premiums for the OEBB plan went up a whopping 72.2 percent. The city of Ashland followed suit in 2013 when it was faced with a 10 percent premium increase in a single year. The move saved the city $400,000. Ashland Community Hospital and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival are also self-insured. The principle is simple — buy health care directly for employees and stop contributing to insurance company profits — but it does require some commitment by employers and employees to keep costs down. If claims increase because employees are sicker, the employer's costs will go up, too. An employer that works with employees to improve their health will see claims level off or even decline, a win for everyone. But employees have to see the benefits as well: that every dollar not spent on health care is money in the bank. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Sep. 10, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501