Driven by strong investment gains, Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente recorded a net income of $8.1 billion in 2021, an increase of $1.7 billion from 2020, according to its financial results released Feb. 11. However, its operating income fell sharply.
For the 12 months ended Dec. 31, the integrated healthcare provider with 39 hospitals recorded an operating revenue of $93.1 billion, up from $88.7 billion recorded last year. Additionally, Kaiser saw its expenses rise 6.9 percent to $92.5 billion in 2021.
In 2021, Kaiser saw its operating income fall to $611 million, an operating margin of 0.7 percent. This compares to a $2.2 billion operating income in 2020 and an operating margin of 2.5 percent.
Kaiser attributed the sharp decrease in operating income to an increase in care delivery expenses due to COVID-19 surges.
Total other income and expenses, which includes investment income, reached $7.5 billion in 2021. In 2020, Kaiser saw a gain of $4.1 billion.
"Our financial performance underscores the strength of our integrated model, which allows us to weather unexpected challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic while continuing to serve our members," said Kathy Lancaster, Kaiser Permanente executive vice president and CFO.
In 2021, Kaiser also said its health plan membership grew by 185,000 members. It now has more than 12.5 million members.
Read more here.