SEATTLE — Jane Dahl is typical of many Group Health members, as the organization approaches its 70th birthday.
“I was born at Group Health,” she said proudly
We met Dahl as she left the Group Health facility on Seattle’s Capitol Hill. She had some concerns about the sale.
“I have a concern as to what kind of coverage will be offered, will it be near to what I have now, or will it change significantly,” she said.
Executives said the sale is designed to keep costs down, by merging Group Health with the much larger Kaiser Permanente.
Founded locally almost 70 years ago, Group Health has 590,000 members in six Washington counties.
Kaiser Permanente has 10 million members in 8eight states around the country and Washington D.C.
“Fundamentally this isn't about reducing costs, it is about increasing our operational efficiencies because we can spread those costs over a larger base,” said Dr. Stephen Tarnoff.
Tarnoff is president of Group Health Physicians, a separate organization that provides 1,200 doctors to Group Health.
He says Kaiser promises to invest a billion dollars to improve infrastructure and services like the smartphone app that allows patients to track their health care and get help online.
“It's like a neighborhood medical center but it's nationally and internationally connected so I'm a very happy member and don't see any reason to expect that to change,” said member Fred Bookstein
Dr. Tarnoff promises it won't change.
“The secret sauce of what we do is based on our culture and the fit with Kaiser Permanente is profound it is a very similar culture.”
Kaiser Permanente will spend $1.8 billion to take over Group Health. The money will go to a new foundation focused on health care research.
The sale requires regulatory approvals and may take up to a year to complete.