Kaiser's Integrated Health Care Model

Kaiser Permanente is a unique system for the delivery of health care. We have an integrated structure that allows the health plan, the hospital and the physicians & medical group to work together in a coordinated fashion for the benefit of the patient. This level of integration, supported by sophisticated information technology, means that the patient, along with her/his appropriate medical information, can move smoothly from the clinic to the hospital or from primary care to specialty care.

There are many other important features of the Kaiser system. We have an intense focus on prevention, health education and care management. Using these programs, we have systematically reduced the death rate from cardiovascular disease and colon cancer significantly below the California average. Our goal is to keep people healthy so that they can live long and thrive!

Kaiser Permanente is a physician-driven organization where physicians can practice medicine without the infringement of for-profit insurance companies. This collegial cooperative environment allows us to recruit outstanding physicians and staff. Also, at Kaiser Permanente, our administrative costs are low and that allows us to put more of the health care premium in the actual delivery of care.

The Kaiser Permanente system for the delivery of health care is unique. Our ability to deliver outstanding care for our members has attracted world-wide attention. Health care specialists from around the world frequently visit Northern California to study and learn about us. We are proud of our system of care, but we are not satisfied. We are constantly working to advance our system to better serve our members and improve their health.

We have an operating revenue of more than $28 billion and serve more than 8.3 million members through our network of 134,000 technical, administrative and clerical employees and 11,000 physicians. Kaiser also operates 31 hospitals and 437 medical centers. Kaiser, in a single year, provides nearly 35 million outpatient visits, and fills more than 113 million prescriptions. Kaiser's hallmark has been its ability to integrate the elements of health care -- physicians, hospitals, home health, support functions, and insurance -- into the country's largest integrated health care delivery system.