Kaiser Permanente of Ohio

Kaiser Permanente is the largest non-profit health plan in the United States, serving more than eight million members in nine states and the District of Columbia.

The company considers itself an “integrated health delivery system,” and as such coordinates all of a member’s care, from preventive care (such as immunizations and screenings) to hospital and medical scare to pharmacy services.

In other words, it is an HMO. You pay a fixed monthly rate and choose a primary care physician from the Ohio Permanente Medical Group or from an expanded list of affiliated physicians located throughout the community. You and your primary care physician make decisions about your healthcare, such as whether you need to be referred to a specialist. The plan then covers all of your healthcare needs, from primary care physicians to specialists, from lab work to surgery. Included are prescription coverage, maternity services and emergency care with no deductibles and little or no co-payments for most services.

Affiliated facilities include many first-class hospitals in northeast Ohio, including the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, the MetroHealth System, Summa Health System and Lake Hospital System.

Some of the Kaiser Permanente companies also offer Medicare supplement insurance, which is designed for individuals who want supplemental coverage to fill gaps in their Medicare coverage.