⚕️Kaiser Permanente: the single payer private model

Plus: it's the model without surprise medical bills

If you’re wondering what a single-payer, government run health system might look like in the United States, Kaiser Permanente is probably not too far off from being a relevant example.

Not to mention: amid all the accusations and the finger pointing and fury, Kaiser has notably escaped the current surprise billing debate, skating under the radar so to speak. Physicians may continue to publish dozens of op-eds arguing their position, but so far I’ve not seen a single piece simply note for the record: you know, they don’t have to deal with this surprise billing mess at all over there at Kaiser.

The reason is obvious - Kaiser is an HMO, so its providers are never out of network - but what’s not obvious is why the Kaiser model hasn’t been copied in more parts of the country. After all, Kaiser is the largest private company in the U.S. to offer what everyone else only promises: actual integrated care. Kaiser consistently ranks among the top, or the top, in national surveys of patient satisfaction. When other provider groups look to innovate in cost reduction, they often look to Kaiser as an example.

So why aren’t more healthcare organizations imitating Kaiser? They could sidestep this whole, nasty surprise billing debate, cancel the millions of dollars they’re spending lobbying Congress, and earn themselves some more satisfied patients in the process.