Group Health is a nonprofit health care system that provides both medical coverage and care. Group Health and its subsidiary health carriers, Group Health Options, Inc. and KPS Health Plans, serve approximately 568,344 members in Washington and Idaho. More than 70 percent of members receive care in Group Health-owned medical facilities.

Group Health includes Group Health Cooperative (1947); its research arm, the Group Health Center for Health Studies (1983); Group Health Options, Inc. (1990); KPS Health Plans (2005); Group Health Permanente medical group (1997); and Group Health Foundation (1983). These organizations — and the staff members who support them — share a common purpose to transform health care, working together to improve the care and well-being of members, patients and communities.

Group Health Cooperative
Group Health Cooperative was opened in 1947 by a community coalition dedicated to making quality health care available and affordable. Today it is one of the few health care organizations in the country governed by consumers rather than internal executives. Its 11-member board of trustees — all Cooperative members elected by other members — work closely with management and medical staff to ensure that the organization's policies and direction put the needs of patients first.

Group Health Cooperative, together with its subsidiary Group Health Options, Inc., operates in all or parts of 20 counties in Washington and two counties in North Idaho. In Washington, Group Health Cooperative offers coordinated-care plans for both groups and individuals, a Medicare plan and a plan for residents who qualify for Healthy Options (Medicaid), Basic Health and the State Children's Health Insurance Plan.

Care is provided by Group Health Permanente doctors and other clinicians at Group Health-operated medical facilities. In service areas where Group Health doesn't own facilities and for plans offering more choice, a network of more than 6,000 community clinicians and hospitals meets member health care needs.

Group Health Options, Inc.
Group Health Options was incorporated in 1990 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Group Health Cooperative. It offers a variety of health plans in Washington and Idaho that provide choice and flexibility to meet the needs of large and small employers. These range from a defined physician-network plan to point-of-service plans in which members can get care from outside the network for higher out-of-pocket costs.

Group Health Permanente
Physicians have played a key role in Group Health Cooperative's history and continue to oversee every aspect of clinical care and quality. Their commitment to family medicine and prevention has shaped a broad approach to care at Group Health, one that focuses on the whole patient, not just an illness or condition.

After more than 50 years as Group Health staff, our doctors formed Group Health Permanente (GHP), an independent professional corporation, in 1997. This multispecialty medical group is under exclusive contract to provide care in Group Health-owned or -operated facilities and works in partnership with Group Health Cooperative management.

Group Health Center for Health Studies
The Group Health Center for Health Studies (CS) conducts epidemiologic, health-services and clinical research related to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of major health problems. Funded primarily through government and private research grants, the center is located in Seattle. It has 200 full- and part-time staff, including some 40 university faculty members.

Since the center's founding, researchers have published more than 1,400 scientific journal articles — many of these collaborations with researchers from the University of Washington, Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center and other institutions. CHS research has helped Group Health become a national leader in areas such as breast cancer screening, immunization and chronic disease management.

Group Health Foundation
The Group Health Foundation uses philanthropy, health care innovation, research and community partnerships to improve the health of children and adolescents and promote diversity within health care. Since its founding in 1983, the Foundation has awarded more than $6 million in grants to community groups and Group Health programs.

Affiliates
Kaiser Permanente and Group Health affiliated in 1997. Each remains independent and separate, but work together in areas such as marketing to regional and national customers, sharing best clinical practices and full-service member reciprocity.