Kaiser, Irvine Medical Center Sign Care Deal

Kaiser Permanente members in South County will be able to use Irvine Medical Center this fall if a new five-year agreement signed Tuesday gets regulatory approval. The agreement includes maternity, emergency and some medical and surgical care at the private hospital.

Hospital care for the estimated 50,000 Kaiser members in South County had been up in the air since officials from Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo announced last week that it would not renew its contract with the state’s largest health management organization.

Kaiser’s contract with the Mission Viejo hospital--which got about 10% of its patients from Kaiser--expires at the end of the year. Mission Hospital officials said they could no longer afford to accept below-cost reimbursements from the HMO.

Kaiser officials said Tuesday they believe the agreement with the 176-room Irvine facility will better serve their members and accommodate their plans for growth. The health care organization serves 305,000 members in Orange County and operates its own hospital in Anaheim Hills. Irvine Medical Center is scheduled to start serving Kaiser members in October.