By Dick Maggiore and Mark Vandegrift

You Matter to Leading Local Health Plan Provider AultCare

'You Matter' to Leading Local Health Plan Provider AultCare

Stark County health plan provider does everything it can to keep costs low and quality high; 'You Matter' is much more than just a slogan.

Since its inception in 1985, AultCare hasn't strayed one iota from its original single-minded focus.

For nearly 35 years, the organization has provided access to affordable, quality healthcare to serve the people and businesses of Stark County and its surrounding communities backed by superior customer service.

AultCare was the idea of former Aultman CEO Dick Pryce. Pryce saw medical insurance providers' costs continue to rise and decided there had to be a better way. He worked closely with AultCare's current President and CEO Rick Haines to start a new and better health plan for our community.

Aultman Hospital was AultCare's first customer, The Timken Company was second and The Hoover Company was third. Now, AultCare serves more than 2,000 employer groups and more than 430,000 individuals. AultCare's primary service region includes Stark, Tuscarawas, Wayne, Carroll and Holmes counties. 

AultCare offers a wide spectrum of health-related products and services, including medical, dental, vision and wellness programs, Medicare Advantage plans, workers' compensation programs and other ancillary products such as
life insurance.

AultCare's Care Coordination program is a unique approach to providing integrated comprehensive services to members. Through this program, AultCare's team of physicians, nurses, dietitians, pharmacists and other clinical and non-clinical staff provides programs focused on improving all aspects of members' health.

AultCare partners with local and national organizations to bring the best services to its members. One local example is AultCare's partnership with the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce on a small business health fund. Nationally, AultCare partners with Express Scripts® on its prescription services.

AultCare's National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) accreditation acknowledges the quality of care members receive. AultCare also has been recognized for quality and excellence by numerous local, regional and national organizations.

Teamwork is of the utmost importance to AultCare. AultCare's more than 500 local employees strive to work together to provide excellent customer service, quality healthcare services and cost-effective healthcare planning -- the core of the organization's philosophy.

"We take pride in the fact that when our members call, they talk to a local person," said Megan Wise, AultCare marketing coordinator. "We've never had an automated phone system, and we never will. When we say, 'A Local Call for Local Care,' we truly mean it."

AultCare walks the member through the entire healthcare experience.

"Healthcare can be complex and confusing," said Wise. "Through our personalized customer service, members rely on AultCare for guidance in navigating the entire healthcare system."

Education and transparency are critical.

"We encourage our members to keep themselves healthy and to take control of their health," said Wise. "Our aim is to become a trusted resource for healthcare and health plan issues for our community."

Wise said AultCare's 'You Matter' campaign has exploded because it's a positive message that resonates so well within our community.

"Our members really do matter to us," said Wise. "We do our best to offer quality healthcare services at a low cost, and we're proud to serve as a trusted resource in our community."

Wise said it comes down to customer satisfaction.

"Our team strives to provide our members, employers and providers with the information and resources they need," said Wise. "We still hold true to our founding principles of meeting customer needs. We're always here to talk on the phone, meet in person or correspond via email."

AultCare gets involved in youth initiatives. The organization provides scholarships to one student at each high school in its five-county core region who contribute in the classroom and in extracurricular activities. That's 43 scholarships annually, and since 2002, AultCare has provided $327,000 to local students.

Community involvement is important to AultCare. AultCaring in the Community provides employees with opportunities to donate their time and money to nonprofit organizations, including Pegasus Farm, the Stark County Humane Society, Stark Parks and dozens of other local nonprofits.

As long as there's a need for affordable, quality healthcare, AultCare will be saying, "You Matter" to the people of Stark County and its surrounding communities while it continues to provide the very best customer service.