How Community-Owned Health Plans Are Transforming Healthcare and Boosting Local Economies

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Sep 2, 2025

50:59

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Welcome back to Relocalizing Health, the podcast where we delve into how communities across America are taking back control of their healthcare from corporate interests and transforming it into a force for genuine wellbeing and economic vitality. I’m your host, Dave Chase.

In today’s episode, we bring you a truly inspiring story of healthcare transformation, not spearheaded by a hospital exec, a government official, or a tech disruptor, but by an independent benefits advisor from Ohio who decided enough was enough. Bryce Heinbaugh joins us to share his journey, which began with a professional crisis of conscience after realizing how much money was being siphoned out of his community by a broken healthcare system.

Bryce opens up about his pivotal moment at a Health Rosetta conference, the challenges of being a change agent, and how he helped move Ashtabula City Schools from the brink of financial crisis to building a $7 million healthcare reserve. We’ll explore the practical steps he took to rebuild the local healthcare ecosystem, from partnering with direct primary care physicians and community pharmacists, to negotiating direct contracts with high-quality providers, even in a so-called “medical desert.”

Alongside Bryce, we’ll dig into the blueprint that empowered not just schools, but also local governments and private employers, to save millions while improving care for their people. We’ll discuss the national implications of this approach, the predictable pushback from entrenched interests, and why fostering local collaboration among advisors, clinicians, and civic leaders is crucial for lasting change.

If you’ve ever wondered how healthcare could become an economic engine rather than a drain, or what it takes to shift from Wall Street-driven models to community-owned health plans, this is the episode for you. Stick around for actionable insights, hard-earned wisdom, and a hopeful look at what’s possible when communities work together to reclaim their healthcare destiny.

Timestamps:

00:00 "Revolutionizing U.S. Healthcare Costs"

04:52 Epiphany of a Benefits Broker

07:07 Healthcare Innovation Journey

12:24 Community-Focused Healthcare Solution

17:02 "Leveraging Major Employers for Community Initiatives"

18:07 Analyzing Healthcare Spending Data

22:59 Orthopedic and Imaging Expansion Success

25:59 Healthcare Reform Sparks Local Controversy

29:52 "Decentralizing Healthcare from Wall Street"

31:49 Cut Out Middleman, Save on Prescriptions

37:16 "Zero-Cost Healthcare Impact on Communities"