Attach to Form 990 or Form 990-EZ.
Go to
www.irs.gov/Form990 for instructions and the latest information.
| (i) Name of supported organization | (ii) EIN | (iii) Type of organization (described on lines 1- 10 above (see instructions)) | (iv) Is the organization listed in your governing document? | (v) Amount of monetary support (see instructions) | (vi) Amount of other support (see instructions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | |||||
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Total |
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Calendar year
(or fiscal year beginning in)
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(a) 2017 | (b) 2018 | (c) 2019 | (d) 2020 | (e) 2021 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gifts, grants, contributions, and membership fees received. (Do not include any "unusual grant.") .. | ||||||
| 2 | Tax revenues levied for the organization's benefit and either paid to or expended on its behalf.... | ||||||
| 3 | The value of services or facilities furnished by a governmental unit to the organization without charge.. | ||||||
| 4 | Total. Add lines 1 through 3 | ||||||
| 5 | The portion of total contributions by each person (other than a governmental unit or publicly supported organization) included on line 1 that exceeds 2% of the amount shown on line 11, column (f) .. | ||||||
| 6 | Public support. Subtract line 5 from line 4. | ||||||
Calendar year
(or fiscal year beginning in)
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(a) 2017 | (b) 2018 | (c) 2019 | (d) 2020 | (e) 2021 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Amounts from line 4.. | ||||||
| 8 | Gross income from interest, dividends, payments received on securities loans, rents, royalties and income from similar sources... | ||||||
| 9 | Net income from unrelated business activities, whether or not the business is regularly carried on.. | ||||||
| 10 | Other income. Do not include gain or loss from the sale of capital assets (Explain in Part VI.).. | ||||||
| 11 | Total support. Add lines 7 through 10 | ||||||
Calendar year (or fiscal year beginning in) ![]() |
(a) 2017 | (b) 2018 | (c) 2019 | (d) 2020 | (e) 2021 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gifts, grants, contributions, and membership fees received. (Do not include any "unusual grants.") . | ||||||
| 2 | Gross receipts from admissions, merchandise sold or services performed, or facilities furnished in any activity that is related to the organization's tax-exempt purpose | ||||||
| 3 | Gross receipts from activities that are not an unrelated trade or business under section 513 ..... | ||||||
| 4 | Tax revenues levied for the organization's benefit and either paid to or expended on its behalf... | ||||||
| 5 | The value of services or facilities furnished by a governmental unit to the organization without charge | ||||||
| 6 | Total. Add lines 1 through 5 | ||||||
| 7a | Amounts included on lines 1, 2, and 3 received from disqualified persons | ||||||
| b | Amounts included on lines 2 and 3 received from other than disqualified persons that exceed the greater of $5,000 or 1% of the amount on line 13 for the year. | ||||||
| c | Add lines 7a and 7b.. | ||||||
| 8 | Public support. (Subtract line 7c from line 6.) | ||||||
Calendar year (or fiscal year beginning in) ![]() |
(a) 2017 | (b) 2018 | (c) 2019 | (d) 2020 | (e) 2021 | (f) Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Amounts from line 6... | ||||||
| 10a | Gross income from interest, dividends, payments received on securities loans, rents, royalties and income from similar sources.. | ||||||
| b | Unrelated business taxable income (less section 511 taxes) from businesses acquired after June 30, 1975. | ||||||
| c | Add lines 10a and 10b. | ||||||
| 11 | Net income from unrelated business activities not included on line 10b, whether or not the business is regularly carried on. | ||||||
| 12 | Other income. Do not include gain or loss from the sale of capital assets (Explain in Part VI.) .. | ||||||
| 13 | Total support. (Add lines 9, 10c, 11, and 12.).. | ||||||
| Section A - Adjusted Net Income | (A) Prior Year |
(B) Current Year (optional) |
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| 1 | Net short-term capital gain | 1 | ||||
| 2 | Recoveries of prior-year distributions | 2 | ||||
| 3 | Other gross income (see instructions) | 3 | ||||
| 4 | Add lines 1 through 3 | 4 | ||||
| 5 | Depreciation and depletion | 5 | ||||
| 6 | Portion of operating expenses paid or incurred for production or collection of gross income or for management, conservation, or maintenance of property held for production of income (see instructions) | 6 | ||||
| 7 | Other expenses (see instructions) | 7 | ||||
| 8 | Adjusted Net Income (subtract lines 5, 6 and 7 from line 4) | 8 | ||||
| Section B - Minimum Asset Amount | (A) Prior Year |
(B) Current Year (optional) |
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| 1 | Aggregate fair market value of all non-exempt-use assets (see instructions for short tax year or assets held for part of year): | 1 | ||||
| a | Average monthly value of securities | 1a | ||||
| b | Average monthly cash balances | 1b | ||||
| c | Fair market value of other non-exempt-use assets | 1c | ||||
| d | Total (add lines 1a, 1b, and 1c) | 1d | ||||
| e |
Discount claimed for blockage or other factors (explain in detail in Part VI): |
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| 2 | Acquisition indebtedness applicable to non-exempt use assets | 2 | ||||
| 3 | Subtract line 2 from line 1d | 3 | ||||
| 4 | Cash deemed held for exempt use. Enter 0.015 of line 3 (for greater amount, see instructions). | 4 | ||||
| 5 | Net value of non-exempt-use assets (subtract line 4 from line 3) | 5 | ||||
| 6 | Multiply line 5 by 0.035 | 6 | ||||
| 7 | Recoveries of prior-year distributions | 7 | ||||
| 8 | Minimum Asset Amount (add line 7 to line 6) | 8 | ||||
| Section C - Distributable Amount | Current Year | |||||
| 1 | Adjusted net income for prior year (from Section A, line 8, Column A) | 1 | ||||
| 2 | Enter 85% of line 1 | 2 | ||||
| 3 | Minimum asset amount for prior year (from Section B, line 8, Column A) | 3 | ||||
| 4 | Enter greater of line 2 or line 3 | 4 | ||||
| 5 | Income tax imposed in prior year | 5 | ||||
| 6 | Distributable Amount. Subtract line 5 from line 4, unless subject to emergency temporary reduction (see instructions) | 6 | ||||
| Section D - Distributions | Current Year | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Amounts paid to supported organizations to accomplish exempt purposes | 1 | |
|
2
Amounts paid to perform activity that directly furthers exempt purposes of supported organizations, in excess of income from activity |
2 | |
| 3 Administrative expenses paid to accomplish exempt purposes of supported organizations | 3 | |
| 4 Amounts paid to acquire exempt-use assets | 4 | |
| 5 Qualified set-aside amounts (prior IRS approval required - provide details in Part VI) | 5 | |
| 6 Other distributions (describe in Part VI). See instructions | 6 | |
| 7Total annual distributions. Add lines 1 through 6. | 7 | |
|
8
Distributions to attentive supported organizations to which the organization is responsive (provide details in Part VI). See instructions |
8 | |
| 9 Distributable amount for 2021 from Section C, line 6 | 9 | |
| 10 Line 8 amount divided by Line 9 amount | 10 | |
| Section E - Distribution Allocations (see instructions) |
(i) Excess Distributions |
(ii) Underdistributions Pre-2021 |
(iii) Distributable Amount for 2021 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Distributable amount for 2021 from Section C, line 6 | ||||
|
2
Underdistributions, if any, for years prior to 2021 (reasonable cause required-- explain in Part VI). See instructions. |
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| 3 Excess distributions carryover, if any, to 2021: | ||||
| a From 2016....... | ||||
| b From 2017....... | ||||
| c From 2018....... | ||||
| d From 2019....... | ||||
| e From 2020....... | ||||
| fTotal of lines 3a through e | ||||
| g Applied to underdistributions of prior years | ||||
| h Applied to 2021 distributable amount | ||||
|
i
Carryover from 2016 not applied (see instructions) |
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| j Remainder. Subtract lines 3g, 3h, and 3i from line 3f. | ||||
| 4Distributions for 2021 from Section D, line 7: | ||||
| $ | ||||
| a Applied to underdistributions of prior years | ||||
| b Applied to 2021 distributable amount | ||||
| c Remainder. Subtract lines 4a and 4b from line 4. | ||||
|
5
Remaining underdistributions for years prior to 2021, if any. Subtract lines 3g and 4a from line 2. If the amount is greater than zero, explain in Part VI. See instructions. |
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|
6
Remaining underdistributions for 2021. Subtract lines 3h and 4b from line 1. If the amount is greater than zero, explain in Part VI. See instructions. |
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7 Excess distributions carryover to 2022. Add lines 3j and 4c. |
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| 8 Breakdown of line 7: | ||||
| a Excess from 2017..... | ||||
| b Excess from 2018..... | ||||
| c Excess from 2019..... | ||||
| d Excess from 2020..... | ||||
| e Excess from 2021..... | ||||
| Facts And Circumstances Test |
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| Return Reference | Explanation |
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| Software ID: | |
| Software Version: |
Attach to Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Go to www.irs.gov/Form990 for the latest information.
| Return Reference | Explanation |
|---|---|
| FORM 990, PART VI, LINE 1A | VOTING MEMBER AND GOVERNING BODY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, CONSISTING OF THREE DIRECTORS, HAS AUTHORITY TO ACT FOR THE BOARD BETWEEN MEETINGS EXCEPT IT HAS NO AUTHORITY TO: 1. ADOPT, AMEND OR REPEAL BYLAWS; 2.AMEND OR REPEAL ANY RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD WHICH BY ITS EXPRESS TERMS IS NOT SO AMENDABLE OR REPEALABLE; 3. ELECT, APPOINT OR REMOVE DIRECTORS, DESIGNATE COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OR FILL VACANCIES IN THE BOARD OR IN ANY SUCH COMMITTEE; 4. DISSOLVE, MERGE OR CONSOLIDATE THE CORPORATION; 5. ADOPT, AMEND OR REPEAL THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION; 6. SELL, LEASE, PLEDGE, TRANSFER OR EXCHANGE ALL OR SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE PROPERTY OF THE CORPORATION; 7. FIX COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS FOR SERVING ON THE BOARD OR ON ANY COMMITTEE; 8. AUTHORIZE ANY DIRECT OR INDIRECT TRANSFER OF MONEY OR OTHER PROPERTY OR INCUR ANY INDEPTEDNESS TO OR FOR THE BENEFIT OF TRANSFEREES IN LIQUIDATION (OTHER THAN CREDITORS OF THE CORPORATION); 9. TAKE ANY OTHER ACTION WHICH THE BOARD IS NOT AUTHORIZED TO TAKE OR WHICH A COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD IS NOT AUTHORIZED TO TAKE UNDER WA LAW. |
| Form 990, PART VI, LINE 6 | THE SOLE CORPORATE MEMBER OF THE CORPORATION IS KFHPW HOLDINGS, A WASHINGTON NONPROFIT CORPORATION. |
| Form 990, PART VI, LINE 7A | KFHPW HOLDINGS APPOINTS THE DIRECTORS (AND FILLS VACANCIES AND HAS AUTHORITY TO REMOVE DIRECTORS). |
| Form 990, PART VI, LINE 7B | THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS OF THE CORPORATION ARE RESERVED TO OR REQUIRE APPROVAL OF THE MEMBER: A) APPOINTMENT OF THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD AND THE PRESIDENT AND CEO, AND REMOVAL OF THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD, THE CEO OR ANY PRESIDENT. THE COMPENSATION OF ANY PRESIDENT AND OTHER EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE CORPORATION REQUIRES APPROVAL BY THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE OF THE ENTITY THAT SERVES AS THE OFFICIAL EMPLOYER OF RECORD FOR THE EXECUTIVE; B) SALE, LEASE, EXCHANGE, OR OTHER DISPOSITION OF, THE MORTGAGE, PLEDGE OR DEDICATION TO THE REPAYMENT OF INDEBTEDNESS, OR ANY OTHER ENCUMBRANCE OF PROPERTY OF THE CORPORATION, OR THE ACQUISITION OF ASSETS,WHETHER OR NOT IN THE USUAL OR REGULAR COURSE OF THE CORPORATION'S ACTIVITIES, WHERE THE FAIR MARKET VALUE OF SUCH CORPORATE PROPERTY OR ASSETS BEING DISPOSED OF, ACQUIRED OR ENCUMBERED EXCEEDS 10% OF THE VALUE OF THE ASSETS OF THE CORPORATION AS REFLECTED IN THE MOST RECENT ANNUAL OR QUARTERLY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE ON THE DATE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE DATE OF THE RELEVANT TRANSACTION REQUIRES MEMBER APPROVAL; C) CAPITAL EXPENDITURE EXCEEDING $150 MILLION; D) ISSUANCE OF TAX-EXEMPT BONDS E) AMENDMENT OF ARTICLES C (MEMBER), D (DIRECTORS) OR H (AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS) |
| Form 990, PART VI, LINE 12C | Ethics and Compliance Ongoing Monitoring and Enforcement Activities Kaiser Permanente regularly and consistently monitors and enforces compliance with the Conflicts of Interest policy in the following ways: Reporting Conflicts of Interest Concerns - The Kaiser Permanente Ethics and Compliance Hotline or Webline is available to all employees, vendors, contractors, and agents to anonymously report actual or perceived conflicts of interest. This process is managed by a third party; however, all reported allegations are provided to Ethics and Compliance for investigation, and if required, corrective action. Employees are prohibited from retaliating against or intimidating anyone who reports concerns in good faith or refuse to participate in wrongdoing. Annual Disclosure Process - Annually, Directors, Officers, Key Employees, Executives, and other employees in roles with elevated risk are required to complete a Conflicts of Interest Disclosure (COID). Responses are reviewed by Ethics and Compliance, Board Services, and / or the Governance, Accountability and Nominating Committee of the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan/Hospital Board of Directors. When actions are required, they are addressed in accordance with policies and written standards. Conflicts of interest responses and actions are maintained for tracking and reporting purposes. Ongoing Disclosure Process - In addition to the annual disclosure process and in accordance with the Conflicts of Interest policy, on an ongoing basis Ethics and Compliance receives, consults, and reports conflicts of interest matters. External Audit Review of Disclosures - Annually, as a part of the Kaiser Permanente external audit, an outside certified public accounting firm reviews the COID process and actions taken for Directors, Officers, Key Employees, and Executives. The results, inclusive of any findings, are presented to the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan/ Hospital Audit and Compliance Committee of the Board of Directors. Awareness and Enforcement - Kaiser Permanente adheres to the following general awareness and enforcement guidelines: - Annually, the Conflicts of Interest and Corrective / Disciplinary Action policies are provided and reviewed as a part of the general ethics and compliance training. - Represented employees are subject to corrective/disciplinary action provisions outlined in the regional or national collective bargaining agreements and applicable policies. - In the event disciplinary action is required due to failure to comply with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, Kaiser Permanente policies and procedures, the Code of Conduct (Principles of Responsibility), unsatisfactory performance, or misconduct disciplinary action includes, but is not limited to: * verbal discussion, coaching, and/or warning by the employee's immediate; supervisor or higher-level manager to correct the problem; * written notice, with or without final warning; * suspension, with or without final warning; or * termination of employment |
| Form 990, PART VI, LINE 15A/B | COMPENSATION DETERMINATION THE EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION PROGRAM AS ADMINISTERED BY KAISER FOUNDATION HEALTH PLAN, INC. IS DESIGNED TO RECRUIT, RETAIN AND MOTIVATE QUALIFIED SENIOR MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL. SENIOR MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE STRATEGIC AND POLICY DIRECTION AND RESULTS OF THE ORGANIZATION. THEREFORE, THE EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION PROGRAM IS, TO A SIGNIFICANT DEGREE, PERFORMANCE-BASED. THE COMPENSATION PROGRAM IS REVIEWED ANNUALLY BY THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE ON COMPENSATION. PRIOR TO PAYMENT, ALL PROGRAMS AND PAYMENTS TO THE CEO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AND TOP MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS (EXECUTIVES) ARE REVIEWED BY THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE ON COMPENSATION. BASE PAY FOR EXECUTIVE POSITIONS IS ESTABLISHED AT A LEVEL COMPARABLE TO THE RELEVANT MARKET. IN ADDITION, OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE COMPENSATION PROGRAM BEAR 'AT-RISK' FEATURES DESIGNED TO FOCUS ON STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT PERFORMANCE GOALS AND TO ASSIST IN ATTRACTING AND RETAINING TOP PERFORMERS. THE EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION PROGRAM IS TARGETED TO BE COMPETITIVE TO THE COMPARABLE EXTERNAL MARKET IN WHICH THE ORGANIZATION COMPETES FOR EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP. EVALUATION OF COMPARABLE PAY DATA IS PERFORMED BY AN INDEPENDENT COMPENSATION, BENEFITS & HUMAN RESOURCES CONSULTING FIRM. THE COMPENSATION PROGRAM FOCUSES ON OBJECTIVES IN THE AREAS OF QUALITY OF MEMBER CARE AND SERVICE, MEMBERSHIP GROWTH, FINANCIAL SOUNDNESS, AND THE COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION. |
| Form 990, PART VI, LINE 18 | Forms 990 are available on www.guidestar.org. |
| Form 990, PART VI, LINE 19 | Public Inspection Copy: Governing documents, conflict of interest policy are available upon request as disclosed to other regulatory bodies. Financial Statements are on file with state insurance agency on a statutory basis (stand alone entity). Combined data is published for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc. and subsidiaries and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and Subsidiaries with Independent Auditors' Report. To request copies contact: National Communications - RM Operations Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals One Kaiser Plaza, 18th Floor Oakland, CA 94612 |
| Form 990, PART VII, SECTION A, COLUMN B | HOURS FOR RELATED ORGANIZATIONS INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BOTH OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF BOARDS OF DIRECTORS WORK FULL TIME AS EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS FULFILL THEIR BOARD ASSIGNMENT. ALL OFFICERS WORK FULL TIME IN THEIR EMPLOYEE CAPACITY. FULL TIME WORK MAY REQUIRE IN EXCESS OF THE TRADITIONAL 40 HOUR WEEK. GIVEN THE INTEGRATED NATURE OF OUR ORGANIZATION, EMPLOYEES MAY PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR VARIOUS KAISER PERMANENTE COMPANIES. THE AVERAGE HOURS PER WEEK REPORTED FOR THE FILING ORGANIZATION AND RELATED ORGANIZATIONS WAS ESTIMATED. |
| FORM 990, PART XI, LINE 9 | Other changes in net assets or fund balances CHANGE IN DONATED CAPITAL $ (43,294) CHANGE IN PENSION & RETIREMENT LIABILITIES 161,119,735 OTHER THAN TEMPORARY IMPAIRMENTS (4,245,982) GAIN/LOSS ON SALE OF INVESTMENTS - BOOK 14,455,622 GAIN/LOSS ON SALE OF INVESTMENTS - TAX (8,250,808) ------------------ $ 163,035,273 |
| FORM 990, PART III, LINE 4A-4D | I. Introduction A. About Kaiser Permanente Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente is recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and nonprofit health plans. We were created to meet the challenge of providing American workers with medical care during the Great Depression and World War II, when most people could not afford to go to a doctor. Since our beginnings, we have been committed to helping shape the future of healthcare. Kaiser Permanente has influenced U.S. health care through its innovations in these areas: - Prepaid health plans, which spread the cost to make it more affordable - A focus on preventing illness and disease as much as on caring for the sick - An organized, coordinated system that puts as many services as possible under one roof-all connected by an electronic medical record Kaiser Permanente has been committed to shaping the future of health and health care - and helping our members, patients, and communities experience more healthy years. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Since 1945, Kaiser Permanente's mission has been to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.5 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. B. Kaiser Permanente's Approach to Community Health At Kaiser Permanente, we recognize that where we live and how we live has a big impact on our health and well-being. Our work is driven by our mission: to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and our communities. It's also driven by our heritage of prevention and health promotion, and by our conviction that good health is a fundamental right. To be our healthiest we need more than high-quality medical care - we need to improve the conditions for health and equity in the communities we serve. What does that mean? It means addressing all the factors that affect health, such as having a safe place to live, enough money to pay the bills, access to healthy meals, and meaningful social connections. Kaiser Permanente is accelerating efforts to broaden the scope of our work - and ultimately create healthier, more equitable communities for all. Through our continued focus on expanding our community health approach, however, we laid the foundation for an acceleration of work to meet the challenges posed by the public health crises we now face. We dedicated ourselves to improving the social health of our 12.5 million members and the communities we serve. C. Kaiser Permanente's Total Contribution Kaiser Permanente provided $2.6 billion in 2021 to improve the health of our communities. The amounts attributable to Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington is $81.7 million as follows: - Financial Assistance at cost - $23 million - Medicaid - $35 million - Community health improvement services and community benefit operations - $3 million - Health Professions Education - $9.5 million - Research - $7 million - Cash and in-kind contributions from community benefit - $4.2 million In addition to our direct spend, we also leverage assets from across Kaiser Permanente to help us achieve our mission to improve the health of communities. This "Total Health" strategy includes our widely recognized activities around supplier diversity, socially responsible investing and environmental stewardship. |
| II.Health Access | Ensuring health access means serving those most in need of health care through Medicaid, medical financial assistance, charitable health coverage, and other forms of subsidized care and coverage. It also means connecting people with wrap-around social services, healthy meals, affordable homes, safe playgrounds, and supportive schools. For many low-income people without access to health care coverage, or for those who lose their jobs and can't maintain health care coverage, an emergency room is often the only place they receive care. At Kaiser Permanente, we're working to change that with programs that lower financial barriers by providing deeply subsidized health coverage and medical financial assistance for care. We also provide information about how to access and qualify for public programs such as Medicaid and financial assistance through the marketplace to individuals who may be eligible. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington supports the health access needs of our communities through a combination of coverage and care programs. We provide coverage to low-income populations through our participation in government programs like Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIP). Similarly, we provide care to low-income populations through two key vehicles: first, via our treatment of Medicaid and CHIP enrollees, and second, via the Medical Financial Assistance (MFA) program, which is Kaiser Permanente's traditional charity care or financial assistance program (FAP). For Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and all of its subsidiary health plans, the main way to address health access challenges is by absorbing the cost of the coverage and care programs described above. A. Coverage Having health coverage means consistent access to comprehensive and continuous medical and preventative services for people to get and stay healthy, a much better alternative to episodic care at emergency departments. Coverage is good for the patient, good for Kaiser Permanente and good for the US overall because it helps people get and stay healthy and avoid costly hospital services. i. Coverage provided through Medicaid, CHIP and other government programs The Affordable Care Act has had a far-reaching impact on the landscape of government-sponsored programs, as these options have become a key source of health coverage for a significant portion of the US population. Kaiser Permanente has responded to this challenge by developing organizational strategies to enable low-income individuals to obtain and/or retain health coverage through Medicaid, CHIP or other government programs, even as their personal or financial circumstances may be changing. At the end of 2021, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington was providing care to approximately 32,000 people through its Medicaid Managed Care contracts with other health plans. B. Care To get and/or stay healthy, people need access to high quality care by providers they trust. This care must include preventative services and required medications so that people can avoid ending up in the emergency room or requiring more extensive services down the line. Kaiser Permanente helps low income populations gain access to this type of care by leveraging the full scope of its integrated delivery system, including not only critical hospital-based services but also outpatient primary, specialty and pharmacy services. i. Care provided through Medicaid, CHIP and other government programs Kaiser Permanente provides a wide range of health care services to individuals enrolled in Medicaid, CHIP and other government programs, regardless of whether they are assigned to Kaiser Permanente or not. In addition to the individuals who received health coverage in 2021 due to Kaiser Permanente's participation in these government programs, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington also subsidized care to people who are enrolled in these programs but not formally assigned to Kaiser Foundation Health Plan. ii. Care subsidized by MFA Medical Financial Assistance program (MFA) helps low-income, uninsured, and underinsured patients receive access to care. The program provides temporary financial assistance or free care to patients who receive health care services from our providers, regardless of whether they have health coverage or are uninsured. Eligibility is based on financial need. In general, patients whose household income is at or below 200 percent, and in some regions up to 400 percent, of the federal poverty guidelines are eligible for the MFA program. Patients who are experiencing high medical expenses as compared to their income may be eligible under high medical expenses criteria, regardless of household income. The MFA program covers emergency and medically necessary health care services, pharmacy services and products, and medical supplies provided at Kaiser Permanente facilities (i.e. hospitals, medical centers, and medical office buildings), at Kaiser Permanente outpatient pharmacies, or by Kaiser Permanente providers. Over the course of 2021, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington subsidized care for a total of 17,000 people through the MFA program. C. Safety-Net Partnerships Safety net providers are a mix of public hospitals, community-based organizations such as federally qualified health centers, and other health care organizations. Safety-net health care providers have a legal mandate or explicit mission to provide care for patients who have low incomes and/or are uninsured regardless of their ability to pay. In Kaiser Permanente service areas, federally qualified health centers serve the uninsured, Medicaid, and other vulnerable populations. In addition to working families, children, the elderly, and the disabled, health centers serve students, homeless people, people living in public housing, agricultural workers, and veterans. Strengthening the safety net advances our mission to improve the health of the communities we serve as well as our equity agenda. Our communities' most vulnerable populations, including a disproportionate number of low-income people of color, rely on the safety net for their health care needs. Our support ensures that communities have access to a strong safety net that can equitably meet patients' needs and improve health outcomes. As we continue to confront COVID-19, ensuring that low-income patients and people experiencing homelessness continue to have access to high-quality health care is more important than ever. As part of Kaiser Permanente's $8.15 million commitment to COVID- 19 vaccine equity, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington provided funding of $280,000 in 2021 to multiple Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) across Washington state. Efforts focused on serving the safety net population and connecting them to vaccines and aiding equitable vaccine access across disproportionately impacted communities. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington's support encouraged FQHC capacity to leverage federal support for vaccines. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington also awarded $275,000 to Project Access Northwest and Project Access Pierce County. This partnership will ensure organizations can collaborate with the health care community to open doors to medical and dental care for low-income individuals with limited access. It will also support the specialty care coordination program to ensure that low-income people have access to necessary and appropriate specialty care. Support staff will provide not only the care coordination, but also ancillary patient support services such as interpreters, transportation, prescriptions, and medical equipment. |
| III.Social Health | Healthy individuals need healthy communities, and healthy communities need healthy people to thrive. At Kaiser Permanente, we are working to improve the conditions for health and equity in communities by addressing the root causes of health, such as healthy food, economic opportunity, affordable housing, and safe and supportive schools. We screen patients for social factors influencing their health and connect them to resources when needed - both community-based programs and Kaiser Permanente-funded initiatives. These improvements grow from our collaboration with each community to co-design and co-create solutions that truly make a positive impact. By engaging members, communities, our sizeable workforce, and all of our organization's considerable assets, we are working to create communities that are among the healthiest in the nation, and inspiring greater health for America and the world. A. Economic Opportunity Inclusive economic growth is critical to both individual and community health. When there is a lack of economic opportunity in communities, the prospects for upward social mobility are diminished, often resulting in poorer health and higher mortality rates for people living in those communities. By contrast, economic growth and opportunity provides individuals with jobs, income, a sense of purpose, and opportunities to improve their economic circumstances overtime. As a large, influential institution in our communities, Kaiser Permanente also recognizes that the way we do business can support economic opportunity in local communities through how we hire, purchase, build our facilities and partner with communities. Some ways that we're helping revitalize and grow our communities by strengthening economic opportunity include: - Providing good jobs to individuals facing barriers to employment through high-impact hiring and workforce pipeline efforts. - Pursuing a social impact investment strategy to support impact investments aimed at addressing key social issues that have a significant impact on health. - Purchasing goods and services from local minority- and women-owned businesses and encouraging good employment practices by our vendor partners. - Building new facilities with an emphasis on positive local community impact, including local construction hiring, local and diverse purchasing, healthy and sustainable design features, neighborhood revitalization, and deep community engagement. - Partnering with community organizations to grow local business capacity, increase access to good jobs, and support stable, quality, affordable housing. Kaiser Permanente is also deepening its efforts to get at the heart of inequities, addressing systemic racism, breaking cycles of trauma, and creating economic opportunities for communities that have endured decades of underinvestment. We are working with communities striving to overcome systemic and structural economic disadvantage and supporting the resiliency of businesses owned by Black and other historically underrepresented individuals. We recognize that it will require sustained efforts to increase access to business capital and build capacity for growth. Success for these communities requires intentional, long-term investment, and ongoing work to dismantle racist systems that create barriers to success. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington approved $1,000,000 of which, $342,882 was paid in 2021 to United Way of Pierce County to support their Centers for Strong Families. Fund will be used to provide the staffing, training and outreach for nine Center for Strong Family sites to provide financial coaching and workforce supports to financially precarious families in Pierce County. These centers will help families increase income, decrease expenses, build credit and acquire assets. United Way of Pierce County will also deepen its commitment to addressing racial wealth disparities by adopting a new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion approach into every aspect of its program and dismantling barriers to accessing the program. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington provided funding of $140,000 to support the Tacoma Urban League and the Pierce Center for Arts & Technology. Support will include building pathways for achievement and self-sufficiency that enable economic and social progress, and achievement of social equity for underserved individuals and communities. Funding will also be used to support the Tacoma Urban League's Black Empowerment Center to improve and protect the economic security of African Americans in Tacoma Pierce County by enhancing asset-building services, support with financial coaching and entrepreneurial support for small business development. B. Housing for Health Without a safe place to call home, it's nearly impossible to focus on basic health and medical needs. Kaiser Permanente is leading efforts to end homelessness and preserve affordable housing by making strategic impact investments, shaping policy, and catalyzing innovative partnerships. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on social health needs in our communities, and people experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity were among the most vulnerable. Even in the absence of COVID-19, people experiencing homelessness face a higher risk of death than housed populations. Increasing affordable housing preserves homes that improve total health and lift residents socially and economically. Nationwide, people of color are disproportionately impacted by homelessness and housing insecurity, further exacerbated by COVID-19. The health crisis and economic fallout from the pandemic have hit low-income and communities of color hardest and threaten to widen the health equity gap in our country even further. Kaiser Permanente cannot solve the affordable housing and homelessness crisis alone. Only through innovative partnerships, strategic investments, and impactful storytelling can we move the needle for our most vulnerable communities. Kaiser Permanente will continue to drive national housing for health initiatives that create more healthy years for all. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington also partnered with Community Solutions International, Inc. to help accelerate efforts to end chronic homelessness in communities within Kaiser Permanente's national footprint. Our partnership with Community Solutions includes supporting their capacity and ability to successfully conduct Built for Zero work in Kaiser Permanente communities. It also supports building the evidence base for validating the Built for Zero methodology and creating other models to help communities achieve quality data, an essential piece of the Built for Zero process. New proof points and shared learning around Built for Zero's success will help build out a roadmap to help any community reduce and end homelessness. |
| C.Thriving Schools | At Kaiser Permanente, we're committed to not only delivering great health care but also creating communities where people can be healthy in all the places they live, learn, work, and play. Thriving Schools brings together Kaiser Permanente's extensive health care expertise and our partnerships with nationally recognized and trusted organizations working to support schools in becoming a beacon of health in their community. Thriving Schools takes an integrated approach to school health, curating the best thinking and guidance on how to keep students, staff, teachers, and families healthy across four dimensions of health: physical health, mental health, social health, and equity and access. Taking an integrated approach to health means supporting schools and districts in advancing their wellness and educational goals by incorporating health-related strategies into school and district improvement efforts. Like the communities in which they sit, schools often reflect a diversity of cultures, beliefs, and experiences. As such, the services and opportunities they provide must ensure that all students and staff are given the opportunity to reach their full potential. Thriving Schools' integrated approach explicitly addresses equity and inclusion, both in the assessment tools we use and in the resources we offer for school staff and district leaders. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington partnered with the Alliance for Healthier Generation to advance the RISE (Resilience in School Environments) initiative, an enterprise-wide effort. RISE is designed to empower schools and districts to create safe and supportive learning environments by cultivating practices that strengthen the social and emotional health of all students and school staff. RISE is the first national initiative of its kind specifically designed for schools and districts to improve safety, connectedness, and relationships among students and staff; increase skills related to social and emotional learning for students and staff; increase mental health supports; and increase job satisfaction, including reducing staff member stress. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington awarded $500,000 to the Northwest Educational Service District's Project Support Health and Resiliency in Education (SHARE) program. This effort collaborates with stakeholders to expand organizational capacity and build upon existing family, school, provider and community partnerships. Promotion and awareness and mental health issues for both staff and students will be addressed through a variety of trainings and workshops to improve school wellness culture and reduce stigma. Funding will also provide an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to addressing the unique needs of the rural communities in our service area. D. Thrive Local Social determinants of health -- the conditions in which people live, learn, work, and play - affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes. Access to quality health care is critical, but social factors, such as lack of safe housing and transportation, inadequate education or job opportunities, and poor access to good nutrition and physical activity, inevitably create barriers to health and wellbeing. While many social resources may exist in a community, they are often unknown to those most in need and disconnected from one another even when serving the same client, creating confusion and exacerbating stress for community members. Through the Thrive Local initiative, launched in late 2019, Kaiser Permanente is establishing bi-directional electronic community networks in every Kaiser Permanente service area. The networks enable health care providers, safety net clinics, social service agencies, government programs, and other participants to make, receive, and track patient and client referrals. Health care providers can refer patients to organizations that address social factors affecting their health, and social service providers can coordinate effectively among themselves to improve community-wide care delivery. Data aggregated through the network technology provides a robust source of information on local social needs and service gaps to drive collaborative community planning. Kaiser Permanente's Thrive Local contributions in 2021 facilitated growth of these community networks by funding community-based organizations to invest in change management, technology, or staffing to assist them in joining the network, as well as "anchor" social service organizations that participated in outreach to build the networks, ensuring they reflect the needs of their respective communities. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington awarded community-based organizations approximately $100,000 to assist community partners to join the community network and to serve as a "champion" to support outreach and on-boarding of local social service providers. Community based organizations address a variety of needs including, housing insecurity and homelessness; health and behavioral health; child, youth, family, and senior services; nutrition and food insecurity; financial support and employment; and domestic and interpersonal violence. Funds will be used to provide much needed services to under-served communities and will include working in partnership with local employers, educators, government and community organizations. This effort will facilitate participation of key social service providers in the community networks. E. Food for Life Food for Life is Kaiser Permanente's comprehensive approach to transforming the economic, social, and policy environments connected to food so that people across the nation have access to, and can afford, healthy food. It includes increasing individual and family purchasing power; providing enhanced nutrition to vulnerable and sick members; improving access to community resources; and advancing local and national food security efforts through research, policy advocacy, thought leadership and community support. Kaiser Permanente recognizes that solving for food security goes beyond just giving people food. People's attitudes toward food, the economic tradeoffs they must make, the stigma around food assistance, and social and culture dimensions all play an important role. Food insecurity is linked to a variety of adverse health outcomes, including poor chronic disease management, developmental and mental health problems, increased hospitalizations, and higher costs of care. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington awarded $150,000 to United Way of King County in support of their Fuel Your Future campaign which transforms schools and communities by leveraging existing federal nutrition programs to reduce childhood hunger. The Fuel Your Future campaign will work statewide to increase access to school breakfast, afterschool meals, summer meals, and SNAP for low-income youth. The Fuel Your Future campaign leverages federal nutrition programs to increase access to critical food resources. This project will address food insecurity by ensuring that low-income youth are connected to three healthy meals per day, and their families are connected to the Basic Food (SNAP) grocery benefits that they are entitled to receive. |
| IV.Policy and Systems | A. Thriving Cities The places where we live, learn, work, and play - our cities and towns, our schools, our homes, our neighborhoods - have an enormous impact on our health. And how we shape those places, through public policy and the support for healthy environments, has the potential to make real, lasting impacts on our surroundings and our everyday quality of life. Through Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington's ongoing partnerships with community organizations, municipal leaders, and public health champions, we are working to incorporate health, equity and sustainability considerations into public policy and the built environment in ways that influence how neighborhoods take shape and grow. In 2018, we joined forces with the de Beaumont Foundation, a leader in public health philanthropy, to help U.S. cities thrive through the CityHealth initiative. Created by the de Beaumont Foundation to promote practices that make cities healthier, CityHealth tracks and reports on proven policies, and works with cities to advance policies that achieve community health priorities. Through this relationship, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington will leverage its deep expertise in health policy, government relations, and community-based prevention to accelerate cities' efforts to improve people's health and quality of life. For Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington, this partnership complements the organization's established approach to community health - bringing together health leaders, clinicians and community partners to help solve the social, economic and environmental health challenges facing the who live in the communities it serves. Policy menu includes: earned sick leave, high-quality accessible pre-Kindergarten, affordable housing/inclusionary zoning, complete streets, safer alcohol sales, Tobacco 21, smoke-free indoor air, food safety and restaurant inspection rating, healthy food procurement. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington also supported efforts to partner with the Vose River Charitable Fund, which is an organization that develops tools and collaborates with other nonprofit organizations and government health departments to support effective policies and the public health workforce. Our partnership with Vose River Charitable Fund will ensure the CityHealth initiative has sufficient staffing and consultants, policy-specific technical assistance, policy assessment research and communications support. Funding will also support a new policy menu and greater reach among cities in Kaiser Permanente's footprint. B. Environmental Stewardship At Kaiser Permanente, we believe it is our obligation as a health care provider to minimize our environmental impact. We work to be environmentally responsible throughout our organization - in how we power our facilities, purchase food and medical supplies and equipment, manage waste, and invest in our communities. We also prioritize partnerships with others to develop policies and systems that strengthen community health and protect our environment. Our mission to improve the total health of our members and the communities we serve compels us to take bold steps to reduce our impact on the climate and increase understanding of the connection between climate and health. We know one way to improve the health of the communities we serve is by improving their environmental conditions. In 2020, we became the first U.S. health system to become carbon neutral as an organization, completing the "last mile" toward this milestone through investment in carefully chosen carbon offset projects. By eliminating our carbon footprint, we have taken measurable action to improve conditions that lead to poor health, deepening our commitment to create more healthy years for all, and supporting the medical community's pledge to do no harm. In 2021, we also dedicated 26.62% of overall spending on products to items that met our Environmentally Preferable Purchasing standards and 100% of our overall operations were powered by renewable electricity. C. Health Professionals Education Our Graduate Medical Education (GME) program provides training and education for medical residents and interns in the interest of educating the next generation of physicians. The nationally acclaimed program attracts some of the top medical school graduates in the United States and serves as a national model by exposing future health care providers to an integrated health care delivery system. Residents are offered the opportunity to serve a large, culturally diverse patient base in a setting with sophisticated technology and information systems, established clinical guidelines and an emphasis on preventive and primary care. The majority of medical residents are studying within the primary care medicine areas of family practice, internal medicine, ob/gyn, pediatrics, preventive medicine, and psychiatry. In addition to GME, we provide a range of training and education programs for nurse practitioners, nurses, radiology and sonography technicians, physical therapists, post-graduate psychology and social work students, pharmacists, and other non-physician health professionals. D. Research Kaiser Permanente's research efforts are core to the organization's mission to improve population health, and its commitment to continued learning. Kaiser Permanente researchers study critical health issues such as cancer, cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, behavioral and mental health, and health care delivery improvement. Kaiser Permanente's research is broadly focused on three themes: understanding health risks; addressing patients' needs and improving health outcomes; and informing policy and practice to facilitate the use of evidence-based care. Kaiser Permanente is uniquely positioned to conduct research due to its rich, longitudinal, electronic clinical databases that capture virtually complete health care delivery, payment, decision-making and behavioral data across inpatient, outpatient, and emergency department settings for its geographically and demographically diverse members. In 2021, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington engaged in 338 active studies (including 16 clinical trials) and published 337 journal articles. Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI) has been conducting public-interest research on preventing and effectively treating major health problems, optimizing patient care, and addressing social determinants of health since 1983. Its mission is to improve health, well-being, and health equity for Kaiser Permanente members and all communities through collaborative research and evaluation. In 2021, the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute published the following research: Firearms are the most common method of suicide, one of the "diseases of despair" driving increased mortality in the US over the past decade. Research scientists sought to determine if patients would respond to a standard question about firearm access on a routine mental health monitoring questionnaire. In a study published in JAMA Health Forum, 83-91% of patients who completed the questionnaire answered the firearm access question. 15-21% of those reported that they had access to a firearm. The authors suggested that this screening practice may improve efforts to identify and engage patients at risk of suicide in discussions about securing firearms. |
| V.Pandemic Response | After two years, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a significant risk in our communities, especially for people who are not yet vaccinated. We rapidly rolled out vaccines, and now boosters, and administered COVID-19 tests while managing new and unpredictable variants like delta and omicron as they surfaced. Kaiser Permanente awarded grants to dozens of community-based organizations, safety net providers, and trusted messengers in every market we serve to expand public education and to create trusted messenger campaigns to increase education and to remove barriers for individuals and communities at highest risk for contracting COVID-19. Kaiser Permanente's COVID-19 Social Health Playbook provides care teams with guidance and tools for screening patients for social needs, connecting them to help, and following up to ensure their needs are met. The guidelines have a strong focus on addressing COVID-19 patients' social needs to improve their health outcomes and to prevent further transmission of the virus. Kaiser Permanente has been part of studies to improve our understanding of COVID-19 and develop tools to prevent and treat the disease, including clinical trials to determine the safety and effectiveness of coronavirus vaccines. |
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