Seeing results after making the switch.

For nearly 80 years, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston (CCGH) has provided food, clothing, shelter and a network of support services to people of all ages and from all walks of life and religious backgrounds in the Greater Houston region.

The organization’s journey to a sustainable health plan has been “long and arduous,” in the words of Chief Operating Officer Bart Ferrell. Initially, it was in a trust comprised of other Catholic organizations nationwide in which it experienced annual cost increases. The organization made the difficult decision to change plans and moved to a self-funded healthcare model in order to reduce costs. But like so many other groups with large carriers, year two brought a double-digit increase. The organization tried a variety of health plan solutions over the course of eight years.

“Different carriers, HDHPs, HSAs, PPO with Exclusive Provider Organizations [EPO] plans … we didn’t quite get the results we wanted to see with the self-funded model.”Bart Ferrell, COO, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

CCGH has avoided raising premiums for their employees for two years straight. “That’s a win,” says Ferrell. “It’s not all about saving a dollar. It’s about quality, ease of access and taking care of our folks, who work in case management all day fighting a system. When they get to their healthcare, we don’t want to make it hard for our employees.”

Knowing how important health benefits are to employees and their families, CCGH was concerned about making the change. But they later learned those concerns were unwarranted. “Imagine360 has been there every single step of the way,” says Ferrell.

This includes support for the management team, too. “Initially, we thought we would need another benefits manager to do this. But by leaning in and partnering with their outstanding administration team, we haven’t needed to do that,” says Ferrell. “And that’s what I tell other organizations — do it and lean into it. Lean into all the excellent resources Imagine360 has for you.”

Based on prior experience of being put on the back burner once you’re no longer a “new client,” Ferrell is surprised at the ongoing level of service CCGH has enjoyed.

“Even in year two, the collaboration in terms of rollout and member service is still at the same level. We have direct contact with anyone we need. We get questions answered. Members get the help they need finding a provider. And, nine times out of 10, it’s resolved the same day. It shouldn’t be a surprise, but it is.”

When Ferrell and his wife welcomed their baby, they experienced Imagine360’s helpful care navigation and clinical management support firsthand. They even got help with understanding the different EOBs from the delivery. “The customer relationship management [CRM] tools you guys have are incredible. Three months later, I spoke to the same person — Ruby, I know her by name!”