Kaiser Permanente’s acquisition of Group Health Cooperative became final on Feb. 1, 2017. This means that Group Health is now a part of Kaiser Permanente and the more than 651,000 Group Health members in the state of Washington are now part of Kaiser Permanente’s eighth and newest region in the United States. With the acquisition, Kaiser Permanente now serves more than 11 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia.

The acquisition extends Kaiser Permanente’s award-winning model of coordinated care and coverage into Washington. By investing in facilities, technology, equipment, and people, Kaiser Permanente plans to improve affordability, quality, and service for members and the overall health of the community.

For more information, see the Acquisition Q&A.

5 quick facts for members

1. Becoming part of Kaiser Permanente does not change the 2017 plan or benefits Group Health members selected during their most recent Open Enrollment period.
2. The acquisition does not affect 2017 premiums, benefits or cost shares.
3. You can continue to see the doctors and care teams you count on.
4. You can continue to receive care at the same locations and hospitals you did before the acquisition.
5. Kaiser Permanente is investing in member experience, including upgrades to clinics, technology, access and more.

5 improvements to look forward to

1. A new Kaiser Permanente Burien Medical Center in the fall of 2017.
2. Upgrades to medical offices, equipment, and plans to increase capacity at Kaiser Permanente facilities.
3. Investments in IT infrastructure that will streamline and speed member care and access.
4. New walk-in clinics at Port Orchard, Tacoma, and Puyallup medical offices to increase same-day access to care.
5. Five new CareClinics are opening – in Des Moines, Silver Lake, Gig Harbor, Snoqualmie, and Redmond Town Center – boosting the number of convenient, quick, walk-in CareClinics from 10 to 15.

A snapshot of Kaiser Permanente

• Kaiser Permanente was founded in 1945.
• Kaiser Permanente is headquartered in Oakland, CA and operates in eight regions: Northern California, Southern California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Mid-Atlantic States (VA, MD, DC), Northwest (OR, WA), and Washington.
• Kaiser Permanente serves more than 11.3 million members.
• The Permanente Medical Groups, which provide care for Kaiser Permanente members, continuously develop and refine medical practices to help ensure that care is delivered in the most efficient and effective manner possible. Physicians are responsible for medical decisions.
• Kaiser Permanente is a not-for-profit health care organization, dedicated to promoting health and wellness for all.

Useful & interesting links

• Kaiser Permanente Washington’s website: org/wa
• Kaiser Permanente Washington’s health blog: org/wa/health
• Thrive with Kaiser Permanente
• Food for Health blog: recipes for life
• Kaiser Permanente history
• A History of Total Health blog