Opportunities and Capacity for Community Benefit: GHMSI's Potential Role in the National Capital Area

This report focuses on a CareFirst nonprofit affiliate, General Health and Medical Services, Inc., (GHMSI) and its potential role in providing community benefits in the national capital area. The study features three perspectives: (1) community health leaders' viewpoints about community needs; (2) selected other nonprofit health plans' community benefit activities and views about their own obligations and roles in providing these benefits; and (3) an economic and financial analysis of GHMSI’s capacity to provide community benefits beyond its current efforts. The authors conclude that GHMSI is capable of significantly greater community benefits than it now provides, and that two to three percent of direct premiums appears to be a feasible goal. This would provide an estimated $41 to $61 million in 2004 toward community benefits, in addition to GHMSI's current activities, and potentially $67 to $100 million by 2008.