Springfield Clinic creates new insurance plan

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Springfield Clinic is partnering with Consociate Health to provide its own health plan.

The Springfield Clinic Advantage Plan provides reduced or waived co-pays for many services through Springfield Clinic providers.

"You'll be able to go see Springfield clinic, Primary Care Physicians for a $0 copay and specialists will be half of the copay that their plan has right now," said Darren Reynolds, CEO and President of Consociate Health.

Springfield Clinic administrators say this plan has been in the works for years, but the process was expedited when Blue Cross Blue Shield removed Springfield Clinic from its PPO network.

"We have had so many patients and employers who have reached out to us and said, I need access, I need to figure out a way to get in," said Zach Kerker, Vice President of Brand Experience and Advocacy at Springfield Clinic. "The reality is that we prefer to be in network with all insurance carriers and the disruption that's been caused over the course of the past year has been very difficult for the community."

The plan is supposed to reduce costs for patients by emphasizing preventative care.

"The reality is that if you wait until you're sick, your healthcare is going to cost you considerably more than if you pay low cost upfront And so that's what this plan is all about. It's all designed to keep you from finding yourself in an emergency room in a critical situation, where then suddenly you're staring at massive bill

The plan is currently available for companies with 10 or more insured employees.