GHI History
GHI (Group Health Incorporated) was established in 1937 as Group Health Association of New York, a small health cooperative with a handful of subscribers and premiums of less than $2000. Over the years, Group Health Association of New York was successively called Cooperative Health Association of New York, Group Health Cooperative, Group Health Insurance and, since 1971, Group Health Incorporated.
Today, GHI is the largest not-for-profit health insurance company in New York State, offering a full range of medical, hospital, dental, mental health, vision and prescription drug plans. We currently provide services for 2.1 million individuals.
A heritage of innovation
Throughout our existence, GHI has pioneered many of the programs that are now standard in the health insurance field. Nationwide, we were the first health services corporation selected as the single nationwide administrator for Coordination of Benefits (COB) for Medicare. And in New York State, GHI was the . . .
- First not-for-profit medical insurance carrier to be incorporated;
- First medical insurance carrier to offer paid-in-full benefits regardless of patient income;
- First to cover preventive medicine, such as annual physical exams and well-baby care;
- First to cover in-hospital medical care;
- First to provide paid-in-full benefits for out-of-hospital diagnostic x-ray and laboratory tests performed by participating doctors;
- First to cover out-of-hospital psychiatric care;
- First to institute a voluntary second surgical consultation program to eliminate unnecessary surgery and upgrade surgical care;
- First independent voluntary health insurance carrier designated by the Social Security Administration to function as a Medicare Part B carrier; and
- First to include an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) benefit for small groups.
1937
Group Health Association of New York, as GHI was first known, is organized as a non-profit association.
1940
GHI offers its first prepaid benefits plan, providing preventive and routine medical benefits, as well as surgical and obstetrical coverage.
1942
GHI is the first medical insurance carrier to offer paid-in-full benefits and discounted rates with participating providers.
1951
GHI introduces one of the nation's first comprehensive dental coverage plans, which becomes an industry prototype.
1965
GHI healthcare coverage is first offered to City of New York employees. Today, more than two-thirds of all City workers choose GHI as their health plan.
1966
GHI is selected as the first New York carrier for the Part B medical insurance coverage for the Federal Government's Medicare program.
1973
In addition to its traditional role as an insurer, GHI becomes a provider of health care services with the opening of the Albany Dental Health Facility. Renamed the GHI Family Dental Practice, today, it serves more than 3,600 individuals from two state-of-the art facilities.
1983
GHI's Comprehensive Benefits Plan is introduced. This plan has set the industry standard for PPOs.
1987
GHI offers hospital insurance programs, coordinating inpatient care with outpatient medical-surgical services.
1990
GHI, in partnership with St. Barnabas Hospital, becomes one of several founding groups for Child Health Plus, a pioneering government program which provides medical and hospital benefits to children of the working poor.
1994
GHI and ValueOptions form a partnership to offer managed mental health and substance abuse benefits.
1997
GHI retains the medical benefits account for City of New York Employees and Retirees for another five years. GHI has provided health benefits for City of New York Employees since 1965.
GHI is one of the founders of The Health Insurance Information Network Connection (THINC). THINC enables hospitals, physicians, payers, and other providers to exchange patient and business data through a revolutionary electronic Internet system for greater cost control and efficiency in managing patient care.
1999
GHI HMO, a wholly-owned subsidiary, is created.
GHI is awarded an $87-million, 5-year contract from the federal government to perform Coordination of Benefits (COB) for the country's 40 million Medicare beneficiaries.
2000
GHI received accreditation for its health utilization management by the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (URAC).
2001
GHI HMO receives New Health Plan Accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The NCQA New Health Plan Accreditation applies to health plans that are less than two years old.
2002
GHI is selected to provide Medicare+Choice PPO benefits as part of a nationwide demonstration project.
GHI's Web site receives accreditation by the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (URAC) after satisfying rigorous quality criteria; GHIis reaccredited for its health utilization management.
GHI launches its Exclusive Provider Option (EPO), which offers customers a range of cost-sharing options and benefits provided exclusively through the GHI network of more than 65,000 providers.
2003
New York State awards GHI - in conjunction with ValueOptions - a five-year contract to insure and administer the New York State Mental Health and Substance Abuse Program.
The New York Health Plan Association (HPA) awards its first-ever Health Plan Achievement Award to GHI in recognition of the company's initiatives to improve the health and well-being of its members and communities.
2004
Enrollment in GHI HMO's government-sponsored programs increases by 63 percent, including enrollment in Family Health Plus, Child Health Plus, and Medicaid Managed Care. GHI HMO began participation in these programs in 2002.
2006
Group Health Incorporated (GHI) and Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York (HIP) became affiliated companies under the parent organization EmblemHealth Inc. Since then, GHI and HIP have submitted a plan to combine the two not-for-profit health benefits providers into a single for-profit publicly traded company and are awaiting the necessary regulatory approvals.
To meet the growing interest in "consumer-driven health care," GHI introduced its GHI Health Savings Account Program, which consists of a qualified High Deductible Health Plan with a Heath Savings Account component.
2007
GHI received some of the highest ratings for PPO health plans in the New York region in an annual evaluation by
the National Business Coalition on Health. GHI was ranked the highest and named the regional benchmark for the NY market
in four areas: behavioral health, prevention and health promotion, pharmaceutical management, and consumer engagement.
