The biggest of the non profit managed care health providers in the country is Kaiser Permanente. They offer their wide range of programs and services in nine states and the District of Columbia. Kaiser Permanente employ close to 150,000 individuals including: approximately 13,000 doctors, 37 medical centres, and 400 doctors offices who serve close to 9 million subscribers. In 2006, the annual operating revenue of Kaiser Permanente was $31.1 billion.

The hospitals and health insurance subsidiaries are registered as not-for-profit with both the state and federal governments. The participating Medical groups are either for-profit partnerships or else registered as corporations.


Options Available from Kaiser Permanente
The HMO plans offered by Kaiser Permanente are easy to understand and easy to afford. There are six plans to choose from, each offering different levels of coverage and cost. If low deductibles and low co-pays with higher monthly premiums works better for you then the Plan 500 or the Premier Plan would work well for you. If your preference is for paying less on monthly premiums but you don’t mind paying a bit more for actual service and care then you would want to opt for Kaiser Permanente Plan, 1000, 2000, 3000, or 5000.

The Kaiser Permanente Balance HMO plans give you low premiums and are designed for people who can predict what their out of pocket health care costs will be. With the Balance HMO plan co-pays only cover out of hours urgent care, emergency room visits, and primary and specialty care. There are five plans to choose from. The plan is named according the amount of the deductible. The higher the amount of the deductible the less you pay for your monthly premium.

Another good Kaiser Permanente product is the Custom Care Health Investor account (HSA). The HSA plan gives you lower premiums and allows you to have control over when and where your health care funds are spent. The Kaiser Permanente Custom Care Health Investor plan gives you access to a great range of services as well as the option of establishing a tax free Health Savings Account to pay for those medical costs that you do incur.

The Kaiser Permanente Balance Health Investor (HSA) plan is another great option if you need low monthly premiums and want to take advantage of the tax write offs and investment opportunities that an HSA offers. Funds roll over on an annual basis. Kaiser Permanente offers two different Balance HSA plans – one with a deductible of only $1,200 and 100% co-insurance and the second with a $2,000 deductible and an 80% co-insurance.

Kaiser Permanente also care about the health of your teeth. They offer a preventative Dental Plan that is available through Dominion Dental Services USA. This program promotes health gums and teeth which in turns helps to keep dental costs at reasonable levels.

With the Kaiser Permanente Dental plan you pay a set co-payment for preventative care which includes cleaning, dental examinations, and the application of topical fluoride (twice a year), as well as bitewing x-rays. Care that is required beyond this basic list is offered at fees that are 70% lower than the regular charges you would pay for them.

The Kaiser Permanente Dental plan allows you to pick a dentist from their list of dental care providers. Specialist care is also available. In order to visit a specialist using the Kaiser Permanente plan you will need to get a referral from your network dentist. Fees are more expensive for specialist care than for regular preventative care.