Thank you to Jeanne Martin for calling attention to Kaiser’s tax status (“HMSA’s CEO shouldn’t lump Kaiser as for-profit,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, May 10). She makes a common error when she writes: “… Kaiser Permanente is a true 501(c)(3) not-for-profit (NFP), both federally and in Hawaii …”
Actually, Kaiser Permanente is made up of three integrated entities: Kaiser Health Plan, Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and Kaiser Medical Group. The first two are nonprofit 501(c)(3) entities. However, the third one, the Medical Group, is a for-profit entity.
Kaiser Medical Groups are organized by region of the country. In Hawaii, its legal name is Hawaii Permanente Medical Group. As it clearly says in Kaiser Hawaii’s Evidence of Coverage for Senior Advantage booklet for 2022, on page 238: “Medical Group — It is the network of plan providers that our plan contracts with to provide covered services to you. The name of our medical group is Hawaii Permanente Medical Group, Inc., a for-profit professional corporation.” The Medical Group services include Kaiser doctors, who are Medical Group employees.
Ian M. Washburn
Ala Moana
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