"For those who are not familiar with the Kaiser system, here is a very abbreviated explanation. Kaiser Permanente is an HMO, and consists of the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan (the Kaiser insurance) and the Permanente Medical Groups (the Kaiser doctors). The patients buy the Kaiser insurance and they are only allowed to see Kaiser doctors. The Kaiser doctors are salaried from the pool of insurance premiums and provide service only to the Kaiser patients. In the Kaiser model, services are prepaid, so there is no financial incentive or penalty to providing or receiving medical care."