Kaiser Permanente's chief optimistic about health overhaul effort

George Halvorson, the chief executive of Kaiser Permanente, says he is optimistic about U.S. health reform. Kaiser Permanente, a HMO-style not-for-profit health plan in California, is often held up as a model for a system that provides high-quality patient care, at reasonable cost. Despite this focus, Halvorson told the New York Times he was not concerned about the current emphasis in Washington to expand insurance coverage rather than improve patient care. Congress needs to tackle both issues, he said, but lawmakers need to expand coverage first.