Kaiser's Cleveland Clinic-only plan didn't work out for hospital, insurer

Kaiser Permanente's decision to send nearly all its patients needing hospitalization to the Cleveland Clinic was designed to enhance the health-maintenance organization's reputation and boost profits by consolidating care from 11 hospitals to one. A decade and a half later, Kaiser has gone back to using numerous community hospitals as well as its own health centers for members who do not need transplants or specialized care. Kaiser never saw the increase in Cleveland-area customers it expected, and instead went from 206,000 members when the decision was made to 150,000 today.