Kaiser Permanente readies health plan, clinic, for north Monterey County

SALINAS – Kaiser Permanente, the California-based integrated managed care consortium, is bringing its brand of medical services to northern Monterey County with enrollment in its commercial health plan for 2025 available later this summer.

“We are excited to expand into Monterey County, bringing Kaiser Permanente’s high-quality health care to the community,” said Eric Henry, FACHE, senior vice president and area manager for the Kaiser Permanente Central Coast service area, in a press release. “Kaiser Permanente will continue our partnerships, investments and support of non-profit organizations to create a strong safety net for those in need.”

Kaiser Permanente is positioning itself to increase community health care access by offering coverage and medical care in Monterey County including primary and specialty care, pediatrics, OB/GYN care, mental health care, laboratory, radiology and pharmacy services. Additionally, the health care provider will also offer a full range of virtual care capabilities and mail-order pharmacy options that will provide flexibility for patients.

North Monterey County is an area that includes unincorporated communities such as Pajaro, Aromas, Las Lomas, Elkhorn, Moss Landing, Castroville and Prunedale.

A Kaiser Permanente spokesperson said it is offering its high-quality health care coverage and medical services to residents living in northern Monterey County, which includes the Salinas area. The first medical office building, which offers a full-range of medical services, will open in Salinas in January 2025.

Since earlier this year, Kaiser has been converting a more than 30,500-square-foot retail building in north Salinas into a medical facility on a 2.68-acre site with about 100 parking spaces.

Kaiser Permanente plans to open a medical office in Salinas at the Boronda Crossing shopping center, 1930 N. Davis Road, after the first of the year, staffed by Kaiser Permanente physicians. Hospital-based care and services will be offered through Watsonville Community Hospital, an award-winning, public, non-profit community health care provider, which Kaiser Permanente has partnered with since 2017.

Watsonville Community Hospital, near the community of Pajaro and across the county line in Santa Cruz County, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late 2021 and was to be auctioned in late February 2022. But urgency legislation in the form of Senate Bill 418 was brought forward by State Senator John Laird and coauthored by state Assemblyman and current Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas, Assemblyman Mark Stone and State Senator Anna Caballero. The bill was passed unanimously by the state Assembly and Senate in early February 2022 and Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it into law establishing the Pajaro Valley Healthcare District.

The nonprofit health care district was created to advocate for community-led health care services and the purchase of Watsonville Community Hospital to transition it to community ownership and governance. Its board of directors includes leadership from Santa Cruz County, the city of Watsonville, Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley and Salud Para La Gente.

Kaiser Permanente says it is bringing its high-quality coverage and excellent medical care to Monterey County in response to demand from members and prospective members. It is recognized as a health care industry leader in the nation and in California for providing high-quality, affordable and equitable health care to members and patients, according to the health care provider.

The Kaiser spokesperson said the organization is excited that there is such interest across the county for its services. Kaiser Permanente is continuously looking for opportunities to better meet the needs of its members, potential members and support the communities it serves. And Kaiser Permanente will continue to explore areas where it can offer health care services.

Kaiser Permanente has the highest rated health plan in the state for overall quality and is also rated highest by members for care and service experience, according to the health plan ratings for 2024 by Covered California – the state’s health insurance marketplace under the Affordable Care Act.

Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s health plan also received the highest rating in the state for providing patients with high-quality clinical care and behavioral and mental health care in the annual Health Care Quality Report Card from California’s Office of the Patient Advocate.

In addition, Insure.com rated Kaiser Permanente at the top of its Best Health Insurance Companies of 2024 list. Kaiser Permanente also earned the top rating for affordability, customer satisfaction and trustworthiness.

“We are excited at the opportunity for people in Salinas to have more meaningful health care options in our community,” said Salinas Mayor Kimbley Craig, in the release. “The opening of Kaiser Permanente in Salinas will certainly benefit not just our residents, but all of Monterey County.”

An important part of Kaiser Permanente’s mission is to improve the health of the communities it serves, including Monterey County, according to Kaiser Permanente. Since 2022 it has invested more than $1 million in local grants and sponsorships in the county.

Many Kaiser Permanente members and employees already live in the local community, says the organization. New and existing Covered California members will be able to sign up for Kaiser Permanente through Covered California.

“Kaiser Permanente is recognized for being one of the nation’s leading health care providers with an integrated care delivery system that allows for seamless, coordinated care across primary and specialty care,” said Meena Pai, MD, physician in chief of the San Jose and Central Coast areas, in the release. “We look forward to expanding this exceptional care to the Monterey County community.”

Kaiser Permanente is one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit health plans, serving 12.6 million members, according to its website. It was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in Oakland, and comprises Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and its subsidiaries, and the Permanente Medical Groups. It has 40 hospitals, 618 medical offices, about 23,000 physicians, 68,000 nurses and 215,000 employees. Kaiser Permanente’s annual operating revenue in 2023 was $101 billion.

The Kaiser spokesperson said its new website, kp.org/HelloMonterey, will continue to be updated to help provide the latest information for the community.

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