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Kaiser Permanente of Ohio is selling its health insurance operations to Catholic Health Partners (CHP), one of the largest healthcare system in the state and the US. With more than 24 hospitals  and numerous additional facilities, they specialize in providing affordable quality care in the communities they service.

More than 75,000 persons are currently covered by Kaiser in the Akron, Canton and northeastern portion of Ohio. Along with Anthem Blue Cross, UnitedHealthcare and Medical Mutual, CHP has a large market presence in the area. They are highly-respected and are active participants in local community events.

Although it will take a few months for the entire process to be completed, no glitches are expected and patients will be able to make a very smooth transition. The risk of lost jobs (which is not new to the area) is virtually guaranteed although the exact number is not known. Although there are some employment opportunities in the immediate area, many workers will have to move elsewhere are transition to a new occupation.

No Marketplace Plans For Kaiser

This move will probably eliminate the possibility that Kaiser participates in the Ohio Health Insurance Exchange Open Enrollment in October. Policy and rate filings must be submitted within the next few months, and already, a few major carriers have decided to sit out 2014 and instead study the success (or lack of success) of their competitors.

CHP has been busy, as earlier in the year, they purchased  a portion of Summa Health Systems, which is also located in the northern part of the state. This purchase will work in conjunction with their hospitals in the area (Lorain, Youngstown, Warren and Toledo). Meanwhile, much of its business in Pennsylvania was sold. Competition was stiff, with UPMC and Highmark dominating the Western Pennsylvania market.

The Size Of CHP

With more than 30,000 work associates in the area, Catholic Health Partners is a “Quiet Giant” that is significantly  larger than most residents realize. In addition to the hospitals previously mentioned, they operate 15 senior living facilities, eight home-health programs and five hospice programs.

Some of the most notable hospital facilities include Mercy Health, Mercy Health Partners, St. Rita’s Health partners and Humility Of Mary Health Partners. Patient satisfaction statistics have always been excellent and the quality of treatment has never been an issue. Equipment also seems to be modernized on a regular basis.

UPDATES:

June 2014: Catholic Health Partners is expanding by building its new corporate head office in Cincinnati (Bond Hill area). Construction will be completed in 2016 and will provide employment for between 900 and 1,100 workers. The existing home office in Mount Adams and the Blue Ash offices will consolidate.

The Cincinnati City Council is expected to approve the move, which will allow construction and planning to quickly begin. CHP specializes in providing medical treatment for the poor and persons that don’t have access to treatment.

July 2014: CHP has changed their name to Mercy Health and continues to be the fourth-largest employer in the state. Currently, the name “Mercy” is utilized in many areas including  Cincinnati, Springfield and Toledo. The Ministry has also changed to a different website domain (Mercy.com) to better reflect the transition.

Company spokespersons said they wished to simplify their operating structure to better utilize existing resources. Ultimately, their customers would be the biggest benefactor. Mercy provides more than $25 million each month to patients that typically can not afford to pay for their services.

February 2016 – Kaiser medical coverage is still not available in Ohio, although they continue to offer individual plans in many states. Unless the existing healthcare system is overhauled, we don’t expect them to return to the Buckeye State.