Integrated nonprofit health systems Kaiser Permanente and Renown Health have announced a joint venture giving the former an entry into northern Nevada.
The deal announced Wednesday is still pending regulatory approval but is expected to close in early 2026. With it, the partners would own and operate a health plan and new outpatient care network under the banner of Kaiser Permanente Nevada.
“Our members, employers, physicians and community members have been asking us to provide our unique offering of value-based care in Nevada for some time,” Greg A. Adams, chair and CEO of Kaiser Permanente, said in a release. “Working with the leading health care provider in northern Nevada, we will now have the opportunity to care for more people, help more employers offer coverage to their employees, and in collaboration with Renown Health, improve the health of this growing community.”
The arrangement will build off Renown’s Hometown Health—a long-running nonprofit insurance plan—and one of its existing primary care locations in Reno, Nevada, according to the announcement.
Kaiser will acquire a majority interest in the plan and begin enrolling northern Nevada employers and residents during 2026’s open enrollment. Meanwhile, the partners will open a new ambulatory health system with sites in central and northern Reno. Along with the existing Renown clinic, these sites will provide multispecialty care and other diagnostic, pharmacy and ancillary services to the plan’s members and other patients.
“By joining our health plan together with Kaiser Permanente, a respected national partner, we can expand access to affordable, high-quality insurance coverage for even more Nevadans,” Brian Erling, M.D., president and CEO of Renown Health, said in the announcement. “This collaboration strengthens our ability to keep care local, while bringing the scale, expertise and innovation of a national leader.”
Reno-based Renown Health’s integrated care network includes two acute care hospitals, a children’s hospital, a trauma center, medical group and other care facilities extending into California. It employs more than 8,000 people, brought in about $2 billion of total revenues in fiscal 2024 and since 2021 has partnered with the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine for clinical training and research.
There will be no immediate changes to Hometown Health or Senior Care Plus plans run by Renown, or to their networks and points of contact. Renown will also continue to operate as an independent system and accept all of its current health insurance plans.
Oakland, California-based Kaiser Permanente is the country’s largest nonprofit health system by total operating revenue, clearing nearly $116 billion across 2024. It runs 40 hospitals, over 600 medical offices and counts 12.6 million members across eight states and the District of Columbia. Outside of its core care network, the organization also been working to expand its value-based care model through mid-size health system acquisitions via its Risant Health subsidiary.
In commentary on its second-quarter financial performance, Adams said Kaiser intends to face financial and demographic headwinds by “focused on enhancing quality, service and access, and redesigning our cost structure as we lead the shift toward value-based care that prioritizes affordability and improved patient outcomes.”
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