San Antonio Company Lowers Healthcare Cost By Over 40%

Bill Miller Bar-B-Q goes back to basics to reduce healthcare costs


May 5, 2009 (San Antonio, TX) Bill Miller Bar-B-Q, a San Antonio-based restaurant chain, today announced that since it went “back to basics” with its health care plan on August 1, 2008, it has dropped related cost by more than 40%.

Based on an analysis of health care costs in relation to generally accepted financial arrangements within the health care provider community, Bill Miller Bar-B-Q terminated its PPO program and restructured its group health insurance program by partnering with area medical providers. Under its new program, medical care providers are reimbursed on a cost-plus basis.

“We start at cost and add a margin rather than rely on PPO networks and insurance companies who historically pay based on a phantom original bill which is then discounted,” began Barbara Newman, CFO for Bill Miller Bar-B-Q.  “Our method uses benchmarks to set parameters upon which medical claims are paid. We feel that this approach is much more in line with common sense, typical American business practices and our fiduciary duty.”

According to Insurance Consultant Bill Rusteberg, the new program makes sense for employers who are concerned about health care costs. “Under this program Bill Miller Bar-B-Q would have spent as much as 40% or more for the same benefits had they remained on a traditional PPO program. Managed care has morphed into a significant cost-driver instead of a cost-saver.”

Barbara Newman added, “With the savings realized under this innovative approach to health care, Bill Miller Bar-B-Q has improved benefits at no additional cost to our employees.  How many companies these days can offer better benefits at no additional cost to the employee or the company?”

The program is administered by Texas-based Group and Pension Administrators, Inc (GPA) which has offices in San Antonio, Dallas and Houston, Texas.  The company’s COO Kathy Enochs said,  “We share Bill Miller Bar-B-Q’s concern about rising health care costs and take steps every day to ensure our clients benefit from custom plans that are high quality yet cost friendly.  Going back to basics can be one way to ensure we meet those objectives.”

About Bill Miller Bar-B-Q
Bill Miller Bar-B-Q presently operates 69 restaurants in the San Antonio, Corpus Christi and Austin markets, primarily selling specially prepared barbecued meats. The restaurants have dining rooms and food-to-go service. Bill Miller Bar-B-Q owns all its own real estate and buildings and operates its own distribution center.  For more information, visit billmillerbbq.com.

About Group & Pension Administrators, Inc.
Group & Pension Administrators, Inc. (GPA) is the largest independently owned third-party administrator (TPA) in the Southwest, providing highest-quality and custom healthcare benefit management solutions to self-insured employers. For 40 years, GPA has combined its value of service excellence with a commitment to clients, employing industry-leading technology, tools and – above all – "high-touch" patient care to deliver the healthiest employees and the "healthiest" bottom line. For more information, visit gpatpa.com.

Contact Information:

Kathy Enochs
GPA
972.744.2445