Hospitals in pursuit of excellence

Miller Electric

In 2004, officials at Miller Electric, a division of Illinois-based Illinois Tool Works, knew they had to do something to keep health care costs from spiraling completely out of control. Like many companies, Miller Electric had seen the percent of its premium increase by double digits. The welding equipment manufacturer partnered with ThedaCare Inc., an integrated health system serving northeast Wisconsin, to develop a multi-faceted plan to improve employee health, which would eventually lead to lower insurance costs. In the three years after signing the agreement with ThedaCare, Miller Electric saw the percent of its premium increases significantly decline. The percent change from 2003 — before Miller Electric worked with exclusively with ThedaCare — to 2004 — once the agreement was implemented — decreased by more than 10 percent.