Another company born of necessity during the Great Depression, Kaiser Permanente was created by a single young surgeon and a small hospital in the Mojave Desert. Sidney Garfield, MD, saw an opportunity to provide healthcare for the thousands of men working on the Los Angeles Aqueduct, so he borrowed enough money to build the Contractors General Hospital and began treating sick and injured workers. His finances were tight, however, and he had problems getting the insurance companies to pay his bills efficiently. Also, Garfield refused to turn anyone away, regardless of his insurance status, and as a result was often not compensated at all for his services. As a result, the hospital was soon upside down, with expenses being greater than income. At this point, in insurance agent named Harold Hatch came to Dr. Garfield with the idea that insurance companies pay a fixed amount per day, per worker, up front and this would not only solve the Dr’s financial woes, but also enable him to practice his pioneering idea of emphasizing prevention. Before long, thousands of workers were enrolled in the new form of insurance and Dr. Garfield’s hospital became a success.

Wellness and prevention remain the cornerstone of the Kaiser Permanente business outlook, and therefore offer a number of products and service to promote a healthy lifestyle and the prevention of chronic diseases. Kaiser Permanente offers assistance in the quest to stop smoking, lose or maintain weight, and such preventative measures as flu shots. Members have access to health assessments, can speak to a physician via email, view test results, schedule appointments, refill prescriptions, and more, all through an easy to use online system. These tools give members more power and control over their healthcare and make them not only informed consumers, but empowered in the battle for wellness. Kaiser Permanente offers products to suit every need including individual and family plans and Medicare plans. And because the basis of Kaiser Permanente is the doctor-patient relationship, doctors are encouraged to inform patients of every treatment available, regardless of whether it is covered by their Plan. Patients may be referred outside of their Plan, and the most important thing is that patients take an active role in their healthcare decisions with all the knowledge possible made available to them.