Kaiser health insurance has always been based on a nonprofit model, so it is no surprise that the healthcare organization recently approved $43 million in spending for a total of 739 community benefit grants and donations. From a Kaiser Permanente Atlanta, Georgia grant that will fund a Health Disparities Graduate Fellowship through the College of Public Health at the University of Georgia Foundation to a $4.5 million grant for the Southern California Specialty Care Access Initiative, these generous donations will make a difference. The Kaiser health insurance organization understands that serving the community means more than just caring for the insured.

Kaiser health insurance has always been accessible to a broad spectrum of the general public. Plans such as the Colorado Kaiser dental insurance plan provide affordable coverage options for individuals and families, which comes at an important time considering the weakening economy and growing number of residents losing access to employer-sponsored medical care plans. At the same time, more and more people throughout the nation are relying on community health centers and public hospitals to meet their health needs. This is why Kaiser is using fourth quarter 2008 profits for these grants.

The four key grants in the Kaiser health insurance organization's latest community benefit plan include safety net partnerships, knowledge sharing programs, care and coverage for low income people, and community health initiatives. Five organizations will receive $4.5 million through the Southern California Specialty Care Access Initiative to address the access to gastroenterology, orthopedics, neurology, ophthalmology and cardiology for low-income and underserved populations. Another $2 million will go to expand the Hispanic International Medical Graduate Program at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine, with an additional $150,000 going to the University of Georgia to help public health professionals understand the social determinants of health disparities and translate that knowledge to policy and program development.
The Kaiser health insurance programs for low income people will include millions of dollars to improve Medicaid programs, school programs and various community health initiatives.