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Putnam County schools add no-cost, low-cost imaging for employees through Express Medical Group
Summary
Superintendent Rick Sernsey and Express Medical Group CEO George Castruis described a partnership giving covered Putnam County School District employees access to no-cost or reduced-cost imaging (mammograms, MRIs, CTA) through an in-county provider; the company says costs were negotiated with the county and employees will not be billed.
Putnam County School District Superintendent Rick Sernsey introduced a new benefits partnership on The Pulse podcast, saying the district has added Express Medical Group (operating as Express Imaging) to its employee health offerings so staff can access imaging services with little to no out-of-pocket cost.
"Express Imaging has come on board, I think, in January to actually provide either no cost or low cost imaging," Sernsey said on the episode. The district previously provided an employee clinic through Marathon Health; the new arrangement aims to expand screening access available to plan members.
Express Medical Group CEO George Castruis described the operational model and emphasized cost containment and increased utilization: "We don't submit a bill to the school...we went to the county health department. We said, hey. This is our cost. Pay us a cost. And when we run out of funds, we'll do the rest for free for the rest of the year because we want to save lives." He added the practice intends to remove co-pays and deductibles for covered employees.
Why it matters: Sernsey framed the partnership as an employee recruitment and retention benefit and a way to catch disease earlier, reducing late-stage care costs and improving outcomes. The podcast did not include independent data verifying outcome changes; claims about improved survival rates and other clinical performance were made by the provider and are noted as such.
Next steps: The district will share the episode and program details with employees and Sernsey encouraged staff to review the resources and scheduling information provided by Express Medical Group.
