Founded in 1937 as a nonprofit organization called Group Health Association of New York, Group Health Incorporated (GHI) ranks among the largest health care providers to New York City workers. Along with Group Health Incorporated HMO, which was acquired in 1999, GHI currently provides coverage and administrative services to more than 2.5 million individuals throughout the state of New York. With offices in Albany, Buffalo, Lake Katrine, New York City, and Syracuse, the GHI tri-state network work of providers is 131,000 locations strong, covering every corner of New York State.

Throughout GHI history, the company's mission has been to provide affordable yet comprehensive health care insurance and services to all New Yorkers. During the last nearly seven decades, GHI has grown from a handful of subscribers to a health care Hercules. In 1973, GHI opened Albany Dental Health Facility, which currently serves 3,600 individuals. In 1999, GHI received an $87 million contract from the federal government to perform Coordination of Benefits (COB) for the country's 40 million Medicare beneficiaries.

GHI Plans

In 2001, GHI received new plan accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Two years later, it received the New York Health Association's first Health Plan Achievement Award. Today, GHI is the largest statewide not-for-profit health group that offers a wide variety of dental, medical, mental health, hospital, vision, and prescription drug plans. GHI offers plans and coverage for:

• Individuals and families
• Family Health Plus
• Child Health Plus
• Medicaid and Medicare programs (including Medicare part D)
• Small companies (2 to 50 employees)
• Medium to large companies (50 or more employees).

For individuals and families, the GHI Alliance Value Plan features open enrollment, making available:

• Basic medical coverage
• Hospital and prescription drug coverage
• In-network coverage in the GHI PPO network of over 98,000 provider locations
• Coverage for out-of-network services.

These, and other cost saving options are available anytime to New York state residents. There are no gatekeepers, and no referrals are required.

GHI Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Medicare Part D) features low co-payments and no deductible. It also works with the customer's EPIC coverage and more than 53,000 pharmacies in the GHI network.

Under GHI Small Group Plans, the GHI EPO covers employees throughout all of New York State. The GHI EPO plan offers complete hospital, medical, and prescription drug coverage with several cost saving options. In addition, GHI EPO features in-network coverage in the GHI Tri-State network of over 131,000 provider locations.