Kaiser Permanente

• Positive Customer Reviews
• Easy to View Plan Options
• Variety of Health Insurance Plans
• Charitable Health Insurance
• Unique Provider Network Approach
• Member Services and Resources
• Additional Tools and Perks
• Customer Service

Positive Customer Reviews

A majority of Kaiser Permanente's reviews are positive. Reviewers mention good experiences with care providers and the convenience of working with Kaiser Permanente.

Customer Review: Vicki from Clearwater, Florida

"I was with them for years and I really loved them. All your doctors, hospital, tests, specialists and medications are Kaiser and in their facilities. You should check for your nearest Kaiser hospital/medical center first because most of your tests are done there. But being all in one it is incredibly easy to get everything you need done. The web site is also really good. You can check your appointments, test results, re-order prescriptions very easily."

Easy to View Plan Options

The plan selection at Kaiser Permanente is quite admirable. Kaiser Permanente won't require you to give out personal information like your date of birth or parts of your medical history to get even the most basic information about its insurance policy options in your area.

You just say whether you are turning 65 during the year, whether you get insurance through an employer, and whether you are looking for a plan for yourself or for a group. Then you input your zip code to see health insurance options in your area.

Getting the cost information for a plan will require further research because the monthly premium depends on several factors, like age. But the initial questionnaire will give you access to brief descriptions of the types of plans available and the overall coverage you can expect.

Variety of Health Insurance Plans

Kaiser Permanente offers individual, family, and employer-provided health insurance plans. Employer-sponsored plans help employers add value to their employees' benefits package.

Kaiser Permanente also offers Medicaid, Medicare, and charitable health insurance to individuals who qualify. It also offers catastrophic plans. Some Kaiser Permanente plans are compatible with Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). An HSA allows you to save pre-tax dollars to use to pay for medical expenses. Funds in your HSA roll over year to year.

Employers interested in adding vision and dental insurance to their employee health benefits can offer dental and vision insurance through Kaiser Permanente.

Premiums, coverage, copayments, coinsurance, annual out-of-pocket limit, and annual deductible, of course, depend on the individual plan. Before purchasing a health insurance plan, it's important to understand the full cost of the plan, which is not just the monthly premiums. In some cases, it may make sense to pay higher insurance premiums to have lower out-of-pocket expenses.

Charitable Health Insurance

Kaiser Permanente also provides charitable health coverage for low-income individuals who don’t qualify for public health insurance or have access to private health insurance. This offering makes it stand out from other health insurers.

Kaiser Permanente provides subsidies on premiums for these plans and additional financial assistance for out-of-pocket costs when care is received at Kaiser Permanente facilities for covered services.

These plans are available in California, Colorado, Georgia, the Mid-Atlantic (Maryland and Virginia), and Oregon. The name of the Kaiser Permanente’s charitable health coverage is different in each region

Unique Provider Network Approach

As you consider Kaiser Permanente medical insurance plans, keep in mind that it does not offer typical network structures, like Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) or Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans. Instead, Kaiser Permanete has its own facilities and providers for patient care. Care received elsewhere is not covered by the insurance provider. If you're interested in a plan with more typical network structures, consider other health insurance companies.

Customer Review: Fay Falatea from Kaneohe, Hawaii

"Me and my family have been insured by Kaiser Permanente for 13 years. The Drs I had were great and customer service from the receptionist was always pleasing. Was sad when I had to change to another insurance."

You should also consider the coverage offered by a plan before finalizing enrollment. Most plans fully cover preventive care. See what the coverage looks like for other treatment, care, or services you may need.

Member Services and Resources

Kaiser Permanente members have access to some great benefits, like an online member portal, mobile app, and glossaries of terms. My Health Manager is the name for the online member portal through which you access your account. Through My Health Manager, you can

• View the benefits of your health plan
• Make a payment
• Download a form you need
• Set up (or change) a date for a doctor's appointment
• Email your primary care physician or specialist about a minor question
• View your medical record

Extra abilities like viewing your medical records make this member portal, even more, personalized and convenient. Plus, members can benefit from Kaiser Permanente's mobile app that allows you to do many of these same tasks.

For members, there's also a dedicated FAQ section that gives you answers to questions you may have about getting an ID card, looking up a Kaiser doctor, and paying a bill.

There is also a dedicated member phone number to contact as well. Kaiser Permanente eases not only logistics but also health care education. Members and nonmembers alike can use Kaiser Permanente's glossary of health care terms, which might come in handy when shopping for a plan, learning how to use your benefits, looking up a provider, and more. Resources like these make the company more transparent and customer-centric.

Additional Tools and Perks

Kaiser Permanente offers many of the same added advantages that other health care insurance companies offer: discounts on health-related products, education about health care as an industry, and a mobile app. These added perks demonstrate Kaiser Permanente's dedication to supporting its members' health and well-being. Each company that offers these additional features puts its own twist on these features, and Kaiser Permanente is no exception.

The mobile app for this company is called the Kaiser Permanente Mobile App, and it allows members to do many of the same tasks that the member portal does. These include contacting your doctor, making a payment, finding a health care providers and medical offices, and viewing your medical history.

Kaiser Permanente has a lot of different discounts as well. Some of these are for fitness club memberships and for massage therapy. In addition, Kaiser Permanente has a wealth of information in its health guide.

Kaiser Permanente also offers health classes and healthy lifestyle programs to help people live healthier lives. If you're trying to make a healthy change in your diet, if you're trying to quit smoking or lose weight, or if you're struggling to manage a chronic illness, these resources would be helpful for you.

Customer Service

Kaiser Permanente values high-quality care. The company website is very helpful, with lots of details about the types of plans Kaiser Permanente offers, member resources, and ways to make the most of the plan benefits.

Kaiser Permanente also makes it possible for customers to get help in either English or Spanish as well.

Flexibility is found in other areas, too. With a health plan here, you can switch doctors at any time and use the find a doctor tool to find a different Kaiser physician. Kaiser Permanente has millions of members. With so many customers to serve, the company has developed a wide selection of resources. The company is transparent about its health plans. It makes navigating the member portal easy and intuitive. Kaiser Permantente anticipates customer questions well.

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• Negative Customer Reviews
• Service Areas
• Limited to Kaiser Permanente Hospitals and Medical Centers
• No International Health Insurance

Negative Customer Reviews

Kaiser Permanente has also received a high percentage of negative reviews on BestCompany.com. A high proportion of negative reviews is not uncommon for health insurers. However, consider issues found in reviews as you decide whether or not to buy a health plan from Kaiser Permanente.

Reviewers who left 1-star reviews on BestCompany.com shared difficulties with claims payments and dissatisfaction with care received from Kaiser Permanente's providers.

Service Areas

One major limitation of Kaiser Permanente is the span of states that Kaiser Permanente can work with. This company limits itself to just several states out of 50, which means its health plans aren't even an option for you if you live outside of these states. If Kaiser Permanente's plans are not available in your area, you'll need to consider another insurance company.

Limited to Kaiser Permanente Hospitals and Medical Centers

Unlike most health plans that allow enrollees to choose the provider network structure (PPO or HMO), Kaiser Permanente plans only offer coverage for its hospitals and medical centers.

If you prefer to have more options when choosing a physician, you may want to consider another insurance provider that offers out-of-network coverage with some of its plans.

No International Health Insurance

Unlike some of Kaiser Permanente's competitors, the insurer does not offer international health plans. If you are looking for an international health plan for your company or yourself, you'll need to find another health insurance company.