Group Health Overview

Group Health provides medical coverage and care to more than 580,000 residents in Washington state and North Idaho through Group Health Cooperative or its subsidiaries, Group Health Options, Inc. and KPS Health Plans. Nearly two-thirds of members receive care in Group Health-operated medical facilities.

Also see: Fast Facts About Group Health

Group Health includes Group Health Cooperative (1947) and its research arm — the Group Health Center for Health Studies (1983), Group Health Options, Inc. (1990), Group Health Foundation (1983), and Group Health Permanente medical group (1997) — with whom Group Health Cooperative has an exclusive contract. These organizations and their staff members share a common purpose to transform health care, working together to improve the care and well-being of members, patients, and communities. In October 2005, Group Health Cooperative also acquired KPS Health Plans, a health care service contractor in northwest Washington.

Group Health Cooperative

Group Health Cooperative began in 1947 as 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. Its 11-member Board of Trustees — all health-plan 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.

Also see: History of the Cooperative

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; Clear Care®, our Medicare Advantage plans; and plans for residents who qualify for Healthy Options (Medicaid), Basic Health, and the State Children's Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP).

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 nearly 9,000 community clinicians and 41 hospitals meets member health care needs.

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