The Hartford Business Journal recently highlighted a Dynamics GP client of ours, Wallingford, Connecticut based HealthyCT. And we feel their story deserves to be heard!

Does a nonprofit insurance company sound like an oxymoron? For Ken Lalime, CEO of HealthyCT, it is a very real goal, one that he saw come to fruition with Connecticut’s implementation of the Affordable Care Act. As a nonprofit health insurer, HealthyCT received a $76 million loan from the federal government, jump starting its mission to function as a consumer-oriented health plan.

Being consumer-oriented is something Lalime understands well. He opened his first drug store, Cranbury Pharmacy in 1985. The UConn graduate always valued having a close connection with customers and would step down from behind the elevated counter when customers needed to talk. Using that same philosophy, HealthyCT does not have shareholders to satisfy and its profits go right back into the company to keep insurance premiums low.

To help make policies that work for customers, HealthyCT includes board members who are consumers and small business owners. Improving customer relations is very important to the organization. It received 100,000 hits on its website in its first five days of operation. If all goes as planned, the nonprofit expects to have 15 percent of Connecticut’s insurance exchange market by January.

HealthyCT is competing against some major insurance firms like Anthem and UnitedHealthcare, but its customer-oriented approach and its local Connecticut roots should help it stay competitive. It has also introduced some innovations that set it apart, such as its patient-centered medical home delivery system.

HealthyCT will be a welcomed addition to the Connecticut healthcare market that only has a few insurers competing for customers. The competition should ultimately help customers by giving them more options and better choices for quality care.

And we feel sure Microsoft Dynamics GP will help contribute to their success!

By CAL Business Solutions, Connecticut Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner www.calszone.com