OAKLAND, Calif., April 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente
has announced that it will waive all member out-of-pocket costs for
inpatient and outpatient services related to the treatment of
COVID-19, as of April 1, 2020. This
is intended to alleviate the cost burden and stress on impacted
members of paying for care.
"We want our members who need treatment for COVID-19 to be able
to focus all their energy on getting well, not on worrying about
how to pay for treatment," said Greg
Adams, chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente. "With the hit
to our economy and the job losses our country is going through
right now, it's more important than ever that we don't allow the
cost of treatment to prevent our members from getting the care they
need."
Kaiser Permanente's elimination of member out-of-pocket costs
will apply to all fully insured benefit plans, in all lines of
business, in all markets, unless prohibited or modified by law or
regulation. It will apply for all dates of service from
April 1 through May 31, 2020, unless
superseded by government action or extended by Kaiser Permanente.
This waiver does not automatically apply to self-funded customers,
but Kaiser Permanente will begin contacting all self-funded
customers to encourage them to adopt this change.
This waiver has been in effect as of March 19 for Kaiser Permanente members in the
Mid-Atlantic States Region, and will now be available to all
members.
Kaiser Permanente previously announced on March 5 that it was waiving all member costs for
diagnosis and testing related to COVID-19. On March 21, it suspended individual and group
terminations for failure to pay monthly dues through April, to
allow members more time to make payments before their coverage
would be affected.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed
to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as
one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit
health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to
provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to
improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We
currently serve 12.2 million members in eight states and the
District of Columbia. Care for
members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by
their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists and
team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are
empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and
tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art
care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser
Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research,
health education and the support of community health.
CONTACT:
Marc Brown
Marc.t.brown@kp.org
510-271-6328
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SOURCE Kaiser Permanente