Does Kaiser Offer Medicare Advantage Plan

Additional Kaiser Medicare Advantage Coverage

Kaiser Medicare Advantage plans include all of the same basic benefits found in Original Medicare . That includes inpatient care administered at hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and other inpatient centers as well as doctors appointments, rehabilitation and outpatient procedures and appointments.

In addition to these basic benefits, Kaiser Medicare Advantage plans may also include prescription drug coverage and coverage for certain over-the-counter health items purchased from pharmacies or other retailers.

Medicare Cost Of Cataract Surgery

The following is an estimate of the cost of cataract surgery:

• The average total cost in a surgery centre or clinic is $977. Your cost is $195, and Medicare pays $781.
• The average overall expenditure in a hospital is $1,917. Your expense is $383, and Medicare pays $1,533.
• These costs do not cover physician fees or other treatments that may be required, according to Medicare.gov. They are national averages that may vary depending on where you live.

Get Flexible Care With A Kaiser Medicare Cost Plan

Since all Kaiser Medicare Advantage plans are HMOs, plan members have to stay within the Kaiser network of providers in order to have their care covered.

Kaiser does offer a unique type of Medicare Advantage plan known as Medicare Cost plan. Think of this plan as a hybrid of Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage. Heres how it works:

• You must retain your Medicare part B coverage. This is different from a typical Medicare Advantage plan, which replaces your Original Medicare coverage.
• Your Kaiser plan covers you when you visit in-network Kaiser providers.
• Your Medicare Part B covers you if you go out-of-network.
• If you are enrolled in Original Medicare, you can join a Kaiser Medicare Cost plan at any time you dont need to wait for an enrollment period.

A Medicare Cost plan is a good option for you if you want Medicare Advantage benefits but also want the flexibility to see an out-of-network provider. This would be particularly beneficial if you travel frequently or if you simply want to keep seeing a provider who is not part of the Kaiser organization.

Recommended Reading: Is Chemo Covered By Medicare

Available Kaiser Advantage Plans To Pick From

Kaiser presents different options for persons searching for robust Medicare Advantage plans. These include a basic plan that handles all outpatient Part B expenses, emergency medical care, a majority of Part A inpatient costs, and medical care you may need urgently.

Kaiser also offers a powerful Medicare Part D Advantage plan. With this, you get everything from the basic plan and additional coverage for prescription drugs. It allows you to save more when getting name brand and generic drugs. A majority of Kaisers Advantage Part B plans allow you to spend $1 apiece on most of your prescription drugs.

Kaiser also provides a plan that covers annual check-ups to your general practitioner, optometrist, hearing specialist, and dentist. This helps you stay healthy because you will always be up to date with your tests, cleanings, and other essentials.

Enrolling In Kaiser Medicare Dental Coverage

Follow these steps to apply for a Kaiser Medicare plan that may include dental coverage.

Keep in mind that many Medicare Advantage plans include dental coverage, and many do so for a $0 monthly premium. An agent who is licensed on behalf of multiple insurance carriers can help you review additional dental plan options available in your location.

Read Also: How Do I Get Money Back From Medicare

Additional Humana Vision Coverage

Its important to remember that cataract surgery will generally be covered by the medical insurance portion of your Humana plan and not the vision coverage portion of your plan.

Vision coverage is typically included in Humana Medicare Advantage plans at no extra cost.

Humana vision benefits can include:

• Annual routine vision exams

Recommended Reading: Does Medicare Part A Or B Cover Prescriptions

How Much Does Medicare Cataract Surgery Cost With No Extra Coverage

According to Healthcare Bluebook, a fair price for cataract surgery would cost $4,366.1

Medicare Part B covers 80% of standard surgery once you meet your annual deductible.

For example, say you need cataract surgery on one eye, and it costs $4,366 for the standard procedure. You would need to pay 20% after you meet your deductible. The table below gives a breakdown of the costs:

The cost of your surgery will depend on several factors including the type of intraocular lens you get, the technology used, and the surgeon who performs it.

If you undergo laser cataract surgery, you will likely need to pay the added costs yourself. This is also the case if you receive a premium toric IOL for astigmatism or a presbyopia-correcting IOL.

Recommended Reading: Does Medicare Pay For Catheters

Is There Any Other Cost Related To Cataract Surgery That Medicare Will Cover

Though Medicare covers 80% of the cost of cataract surgery with intraocular lens implants, more advanced procedures may need you to fund a larger portion, or perhaps the entire cost.

After your operation, Medicare will cover one pair of glasses, but things like updated frames, additional pairs of contact lenses, and other treatment-related products like eye drops are unlikely to be covered. Its also crucial to talk to your healthcare provider about what is and isnt covered under your plan to avoid any unexpected expenditures.

What Do Kaiser Medicare Advantage Plans Offer

Medicare Advantage plans help with savings by using networks of healthcare resources. By doing so, these plans cover many of the out-of-pocket expenses not covered by Original Medicare. Many Medicare Advantage plans also offer benefits that go far beyond what you get with Original Medicare, and Kaiser Permanente’s Medicare Advantage plans are one such example. Hereâs what these plans have to offer, according to Kaiser Permanenteâs official website.

Don’t Miss: What Are The Types Of Medicare Advantage Plans

Are Lively Mobile Plus Upgrades Available

Yes, and fall detection is included with the Lively Mobile Plus upgraded plan. The water-resistant unit can be worn in the tub or shower, where most falls take place. This upgrade also connects users to Kaiser Permanente Member Assistance, a team of agents available to help find Kaiser services or connect enrollees with a member services representative. Seniors also get wellness and health care enrollment reminders and public service announcements with upgraded service.

Things To Keep In Mind About Kaiser Medicare Advantage

• Some services limited to Kaiser facilities: Kaiser limits some of its Medicare Advantage services to treatments received at Kaiser Permanente medical facilities. For example, if you want to schedule appointments through the Kaiser app, the appointment will have to be at a Kaiser-affiliated clinic or hospital.
• Telehealth available at Kaiser’s discretion: Telehealth may not be available depending on your location or other factors. In fact, it is difficult to know exactly how often patients can access them. Kaiser states that telehealth care can be used when appropriate and available.1 This means that you may or may not be able to use telehealth regularly, even if you have a plan that offers it as a standard benefit.
• Mostly HMO plans: The majority of Medicare Advantage providers offer a wide range of plan types, including HMO, PPO, and PFFS. Kaiser offers only HMO plans . Patients will have to get care within their local network to have their treatment covered .
• Limited availability: While many Medicare Advantage providers boast widespread availability across the country, Kaiser Part C plans are only available in eight states and the District of Columbia.

Read Also: Where Do I Apply For A Medicare Card

Top Rated Assisted Living Communities By City

Kaiser Permanente offers all-in-one Medicare Advantage plans that encompass and surpass the provisions of Original Medicare. While Original Medicare covers about 80% of hospital expenses under Part A and medical costs under Part B, Medicare Advantage plans can provide those benefits plus vision, hearing and dental services. Additionally, some plans help pay for Medicare Part D prescription drugs.

Some Kaiser Medicare Advantage plans feature a $0 yearly deductible and $0 copays for preventive care. Kaiser Part C plans may also provide local and online wellness programs, including prediabetes coaching, mental health help and a host of other holistic support resources. Many of these benefits come at no cost to enrollees.

Kaiser Medicare Advantage Review

If youre looking for an affordable, all-in-one Medicare Advantage Plan, Kaiser could be your best bet. Read more about your Kaiser options here.

Everyday Health may earn a portion of revenue from purchases of featured products.

Medicare Open Enrollment is right around the corner, which means that now is the ideal time to start narrowing down your options if you want to join a Medicare Advantage plan. With so many priorities to take into account like affordability, coverage, and flexibility choosing the best plan and carrier for you may seem overwhelming.

This review can help. Before you make any final Open Enrollment decisions, keep reading to find out if Kaisers Medicare Advantage plans could be a good fit for you.

Recommended Reading: What Is The Number For Medicare

What If I Missed My Enrollment Period

If you missed the seven-month window in which you can get enrolled in Medicare, you are not totally out of luck. There are still other times throughout the year when you can get enrolled in Medicare, change your plan, or add other optional benefits.

Aside from your initial seven-month enrollment period, there is also a general annual enrollment period. This is every year from January 1 to March 31. There is also an annual open enrollment period every year between October 15 and December 7.

If you have special circumstances which have made it so you need to enroll or switch your Medicare plan, you may qualify for a special enrollment period.

You may qualify if you have a sudden life change, such as retiring after age 65 or losing insurance coverage through your employer.

Medicare Advantage And Vision Benefits

If you want to get additional vision benefits, another way is with a Medicare Advantage plan. Medicare Advantage plans vary by insurance company. Not all plans include vision benefits, so remember to ask when youre deciding which plan you want.

As for costs, there are Medicare Advantage plans that offer a $0 premium. Ask your Medicare Advantage insurance provider about monthly costs when choosing the plan thats right for you.

Don’t Miss: How To Get Started With Medicare

Does Kaiser Cover Life Alert Learn About Lively Mobile Plus

Digital health assistants provide caregivers and adult children with a way to check on the well-being of older adults. They can also give people living alone a lifeline to assistance in the event of an emergency. Some health insurance providers have included life alert systems in their suite of preventative care tools. This technology is offered by various companies, and Kaiser has partnered with one to help seniors live safely in their homes for as long as possible.

Does Humana Cover Cataract Surgery

• Humana Medicare plans cover cataract surgery, and most Humana Medicare Advantage plans cover additional vision benefits that Original Medicare dont cover. Learn more and compare Humana Medicare plans available where you live that cover cataract surgery.

The average cost of cataract surgery is between $3,500 and $7,000 per eye. But with a Humana Medicare Advantage plan, your actual costs will typically be far less.

Thats because all Humana Medicare Advantage plans cover cataract surgery. Medicare Advantage plans are required to cover everything that Original Medicare covers, which includes medically necessary cataract surgery. Because all Medicare Advantage plans must cover the surgery, that means Humana Medicare Advantage plans also cover it.

Many Humana Medicare Advantage plans also offer additional vision benefits that arent covered by Original Medicare. Learn more and find out how to compare Humana Medicare plans near you that cover cataract surgery and other vision benefits.

You May Like: Does Medicare Cover Heart Catheterization

What Is A Health Maintenance Organization

An HMO plan is a type of managed care health insurance plan. This is a plan which works to streamline your medical needs, keeping everything in one place and as easily accessible as possible.

A managed care plan allows for lower costs than a private insurance plan, but the trade-off is that you will face a more restricted network of providers.

You will also need to coordinate all your medical care through your primary care doctor, or PCP.

These plans try their best to reduce the cost of care while keeping it at the same quality as other insurance options. They were originally created as lower-cost alternatives to more traditional insurance plans.

Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Service Area

Kaiser Permanente offers Medicare Advantage plans in eight states and Washington, D.C., including 116 counties

• Special Needs Plan, or SNP, care management.

Kaiser Permanente contracts averaged a sub-3.0 score in only one category:

• Reducing the risk of falling.

You can find a plans rating with the Medicare plan finding tool.

Don’t Miss: Is Medicare Part C Worth It

Extra Perks And Benefits

Advantage Plus is one of the best ways to get extra benefits with your Kaiser Medicare Advantage plan. It provides varying degrees of dental, hearing, and vision coverage in one insurance plan. Kaiser offers a few other extra perks and benefits worth noting:

• OTC benefit: With some Kaiser plans, you can get common over-the-counter products like vitamins and cold medicine at no extra cost. You simply need to place an order through Kaiser’s online catalog of products. Kaiser offers a quarterly allowance on OTC products that varies by plan.
• Fitness benefit: The Kaiser Silver& Fit Healthy Aging and Exercise Program includes access to free or discounted services at local gyms and some types of home exercise equipment.
• Home meal delivery: Certain plans allow seniors to get meals delivered directly to their homes after a hospital visit involving serious medical conditions like heart failure. Though this applies in limited situations only, it is a great feature that is included at no extra cost.

Did You Know? Almost all Kaiser plans come with prescription drug coverage, which means that you won’t have to spend more on a stand-alone Part D plan.

Like most Medicare Advantage providers, Kaiser offers these benefits only with certain plans. You will need to review the plans available in your area to see which benefits they offer. You can either apply online through Kaiser’s website or reach out to a Kaiser agent by phone.

Do The Plans Include Vision Coverage

Kaiser provide vision coverage with their Medicare Advantage plans, although coverage level varies.

The Kaiser standard Medicare Advantage plan covers routine eye exams and Medicare-covered eyewear following surgery for cataracts. A person can choose from a designated basic range of frames and lenses or contact lenses.

If a person prefers premium eyeglasses, lenses, and other options, such as coatings or tints, they must pay any additional amount above the Medicare-allowed amount.

People with the Advantage Plus supplemental plan get a $175 allowance every 2 years, in addition to the standard coverage.

The Kaiser Evidence of Coverage document offers detailed plan information. A person will receive this document when they enroll in one of the companys plans.

Recommended Reading: Does Medicare Cover Medical Expenses Abroad

What Do Kaiser Foundation Medicare Advantage Plans Cover

Kaiser Foundation Medicare Advantage Plans, also known as Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Plans, are comparable in their scope of coverage to other Medicare Advantage Plans, offering all the benefits of Original Medicare, along with coverage for additional health services. Medicare Advantage Plans, also called Medicare Part C, often include prescription drugs, vision, and dental coverage, and wellness programs. Your out-of-pocket costs depend on the plan you choose, as do rules for how you get services, such as whether you have to choose a primary care doctor or get a referral to see a specialist.

Your hospital and medical insurance are covered and youll get prescription drug coverage with most plans. Additional benefits from Kaiser Foundation Medicare Advantage Plans may include:

• Over the counter drugs

Medicare Advantage Hmo Plans

Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage is Kaisers Medicare Advantage Health Maintenance Organization plan program. The HMOs use a network of providers to facilitate coordinated care. This helps keep copays and out-of-pocket expenses more predictable.

New plan members must choose a primary care doctor in their plans service area and transfer their prescriptions. Any service received from a non-network provider is typically not covered unless its emergency care or referred by a primary care physician.

You May Like: Does Medicare Pay For Mental Health Services

How Do Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Plans Cover Vision Hearing And Dental Care

Kaisers Advantage Plus adds supplemental coverage to Medicare Advantage plans for an additional monthly premium. This optional package covers an additional eyewear allowance, hearing aids and preventive and comprehensive dental services. In most states, Advantage Plus is available for Medicare Advantage HMO and Senior Advantage SNP individual plan members.

Eldercare Financial Assistance Locator

• Discover all of your options
• Search over 400 Programs