Frequently Asked Questions

Accessing care

How can new members receive care?

ID cards are mailed to members upon enrollment. If members need to obtain services before receiving their Kaiser Permanente ID card, they should use a copy of their enrollment form and a photo ID.

Broker inquiries

Online support

Are online customer account services free?

Yes. Kaiser Permanente does not charge for the use of its online customer account services.

Do my clients have to go online for all their transactions?

No. Our online tools are an additional, convenient way to work with Kaiser Permanente and to make the administration of health plan benefits easier. Your clients can still call us for one-on-one customer service.

Can my clients create additional user IDs for other administrators?

Yes. We will provide your clients with one user ID that gives them administrator privileges. They can create additional user IDs with various privileges depending on the responsibilities of the users.

Are enrollment changes completed immediately?

Demographic and coverage changes are completed immediately. (Coverage changes may include adding a newborn, new spouse, or other dependents, as well as terminations.) Terminations are effective the first day of the following month. When the online system can't match the enrollee to an existing record with 100 percent accuracy, the information will be sent to an account administration representative for manual processing. Our service goal is to process these enrollments within two business days.

Can my clients use online account services to handle COBRA enrollments?

COBRA enrollments can be processed using online account services if the client manages their own COBRA population. This feature is not available if the client uses a third-party administrator or Kaiser Permanente bill-and-collect COBRA plans.

Will my clients still receive a paper bill?

If your clients currently receive a paper bill, they will continue to receive a paper bill.

Will my clients’ employees have access to online account services?

No. Online account services are designed for your clients to manage their health plan accounts. However, your clients’ employees who have selected Kaiser Permanente as their health plan can use kp.org to:

  • Email their doctor's office
  • View current lab results
  • Request appointments
  • Refill prescriptions
  • View past office visit information
  • Access many other useful features

Filing membership electronically

Can my clients file membership electronically?

Yes. Your clients can file electronically (via diskettes, EDI, tapes). The electronic data interchange (EDI) format is standard between trading partners and is one of the national uniform standards of HIPAA.

Delinquency notices

How do you notify clients who are delinquent on payments?

We've streamlined our billing process to remind your clients to make payments. Your clients will receive:

  • A warning letter that gives them an account balance and due date
  • A termination letter that follows the warning letter if the balance remains unpaid, and tells your clients the date coverage will end