Kaiser Releases 2017 Individual and Family Health Plan Information

Kaiser Permanente has released information pertaining to their individual and family health plans for 2017. Most of Kaiser’s health plans are available through Covered California and are eligible for the monthly tax credit subsidy. These standard benefit designs are also offered off-exchange, in addition to several non-standard benefit design plans only offered direct through Kaiser.

Kaiser 2017 Health Plan Documents

Among the plan information and documents published for Kaiser’s 2017 health plans are the Member Agreements for each plan, regional rate guides, dental plan benefit summary, and information on grandfathered plans. Kaiser has expanded their area of service into Santa Cruz County, Region 9, through collaboration with Watsonville Community Hospital for inpatient and ambulatory specialty care. Kaiser has updated their zip code locator program so consumers can check to see if a Kaiser plan is offered in their area.

Kaiser will now offer a Gold coinsurance and copayment health plan. The coinsurance plan has 20% member coinsurance for high cost services such as MRI’s, out-patient surgery, and in-patient hospitalization. The Gold copayment plan has set copayments for each of those high cost services helping to limit a member’s out-of-pocket cost. Because the member may be responsible for a higher percentage of their health care costs under the Gold coinsurance plan, it tends to have a lower rate than the copayment health plan.

Kaiser will offer three non-standard benefit design plans off-exchange.

• Bronze 60 HDHP HMO 5500/40%
• Silver 70 HMO 1750/40
• Silver 70 HDHP HMO 2700/15%

The HDHP is an acronym for High Deductible Health Plan and is H.S.A. (Health Savings Account) compatible. The off-exchange non-standard benefit design plans are usually less expensive than the Covered California standard benefit design plans without any monthly subsidy. Both the Bronze 5500 and Silver 1740 have lower deductibles than the standard design plans. This is off-set by either higher coinsurance or copayments to keep the actuarial value of the plan within either the Bronze or Silver category. The Silver 2700 has a higher deductible than the standard Silver plan, but includes a lower coinsurance percentage.

Kaiser has also released information regarding their grandfathered plans. There is a benefit summary of the grandfathered plans so people can compare them to the new ACA compliant plans along with the 2017 rates. There is also a grandfathered account change form to allow people to combine coverage, remove a dependent or spouse, change plans, add a new family member, or add dental coverage. Information on the grandfathered plans, Kaiser dental insurance, and regional rate guides can be found at Kaiser 2017 Individual and Family Plans. The Member Agreements for the 2017 plans are available below for download.