Kaiser Permanente’s purpose is to provide health care access for people with low incomes and resources.
Our Medical Financial Assistance program provides care to low-income, uninsured, and marginalized patients. Patients who get health care services from our providers are eligible for temporary financial help or free treatment under the program, regardless of whether they have health insurance or are uninsured. The program is one of the most generous in the health-care industry, and it is only offered to the most vulnerable individuals.
Financial need determines eligibility. Medical Financial Assistance covers emergency and essential health care, pharmacy services and products, and medical supplies provided by Kaiser Permanente facilities or Kaiser Permanente clinicians. The program is not intended to be used to subsidize rates because it is not a type of health insurance.
Can you go to ER without insurance California?
Yes, the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) protects a person’s right to get emergency medical care regardless of their financial situation.
Can non members use Kaiser?
Understanding the scope and limitations of your health-care coverage. Your Evidence of Coverage booklet, Certificate of Insurance, or Federal Employees Health Benefits Program documents give a full explanation of your benefits. Contact your local Member Services office to request another copy if you need one. If you have Kaiser Permanente coverage via your employer, you can also request a current copy from them.
Getting to know yourself. You are responsible for keeping your Kaiser Permanente identity (ID) card and photo identification on you at all times so that you can use them when necessary, and for making sure that no one else uses your ID card. We may hold your card and terminate your membership if you let someone else use it.
Unless you are a qualifying member of our Health Plan, your Kaiser Permanente ID card is merely for identification purposes and does not grant you rights to services or other benefits. Any services we provide will be billed to anyone who is not a member.
Keeping appointments is important. You are responsible for canceling any appointments you no longer require or are unable to keep as soon as possible.
Providing information that Kaiser Permanente and its practitioners and providers need to provide care (to the extent practicable). You are in charge of supplying the most up-to-date information about your medical condition and history that you are aware of. Notify your doctor or medical practitioner if you notice any unexpected changes in your health.
To the greatest extent feasible, understanding your health concerns and engaging in the development of mutually agreed-upon treatment goals. If you don’t understand your treatment plan or what is expected of you, you are responsible for informing your physician or medical practitioner. You must also inform your physician or medical practitioner if you suspect you will be unable to complete your treatment plan.
Following the care plans and directions that you and your practitioners have agreed on. You are responsible for adhering to the plans and directions that you and your physician or medical practitioner have agreed to.
Recognizing how your lifestyle affects your health. Your health is influenced not only by Kaiser Permanente’s treatment, but also by the choices you make in your daily life bad choices like smoking or ignoring medical advice, as well as good choices like exercising and eating healthy foods.
Considering the feelings of others. You must show civility and concern to physicians, health-care workers, and your fellow Kaiser Permanente members. You must also demonstrate respect for the property of others as well as Kaiser Permanente.
Taking care of financial commitments. You are responsible for making all payments due to Kaiser Permanente on schedule.
Knowing and utilizing the various member satisfaction services, including the dispute-resolution process. See the Guidebook for more information on the dispute-resolution process.
Your Evidence of Coverage booklet, Certificate of Insurance, or Federal Employees Health Benefits Program documents offer a description of your dispute-resolution process. If you require a replacement, please contact our Member Services Contact Center. If you have Kaiser Permanente coverage via your employer, you can also request a current copy from them. Our Member Service Contact Center can also provide you with information about Kaiser Permanente’s policies and procedures, as well as the different services accessible to you.
If you have any suggestions or complaints about this policy, please call our Member Service Contact Center at 1-800-464-4000 (English), 1-800-788-0616 (Spanish), 1-800-757-7585 (Chinese dialects), or 1-800-777-1370 (TTY for the hearing/speech impaired) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (closed holidays).
Can I go to the hospital without insurance?
The good news is that whether you have insurance or not, you will be treated in the emergency room. The bad news is that you will be charged regardless of your ability to pay.
The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act of 1986 mandates that anyone arriving at an emergency room be stabilized and treated, regardless of their insurance status or financial ability to pay. It applies to all hospitals that accept Medicare, which is practically all of them, so it basically covers all of them.
According to a report by the Health Care Cost Institute, the average cost of an emergency room visit in 2017 was $1,389, based on millions of claims analyzed over a 10-year period.
If you don’t have insurance, who pays the fee for the treatment? The federal government funds hospitals that treat the poor, but not nearly enough to cover the entire expense.
According to studies, hospitals absorb the majority of the price in what is known as “uncompensated care.”
Patients will, however, be charged and their medical bills will, in many circumstances, be turned over to collection agencies, who will attempt to recover at least a portion of the bill.
Does Kaiser ER accept Medi Cal?
For most covered services, individuals who qualify for Medi-Cal will have no or modest monthly premiums, no copays, and no out-of-pocket payments. You can choose from a large network of doctors and specialists at Kaiser Permanente. Kaiser Permanente members with Medi-Cal coverage are accepted by all of our available doctors.
What happens if you don’t have health insurance and you go to the hospital?
Doctors and medical professionals are required to treat you as a patient in need if you end up in the hospital in an emergency without health insurance. This is because the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA, states that “any individual with an emergency medical condition, regardless of the individual’s insurance coverage, is not denied essential lifesaving services.” 1
If you don’t have health insurance, however, you will be responsible for all medical services, including doctor fees, hospital and medical expenditures, and payments to specialists. Without an insurer to cover some, if not all, of these charges, the bills can quickly spiral out of control.
Who Pays for Medical Bills
When you have health insurance, it pays for at least a portion of your medical services, such as doctor visits, prescription drugs, and emergency room visits, depending on your plan. The remaining payments will be paid through a copayment, coinsurance, or deductible, which is the amount you pay before insurance coverage begins.
You’ll be responsible for the entire amount if you don’t have insurance, whether it’s from the hospital or a doctor who accepts you as a patient. Outside of emergency cases, you can ask about the cost of therapy ahead of time. Costs vary widely, so it’s a good idea to phone ahead or check a hospital’s website for specifics.
Negotiate Your Hospital Bills
Uninsured patients may be offered discounts or the option to pay agreed-upon sums over time. Negotiated bills, for example, are frequently divided into monthly amounts. When possible, try to settle bills before you are admitted to the hospital, such as for elective surgery or the birth of a child.
You can also inquire with the hospital’s ombudsman or billing department about financial help programs, commonly known as “charity care,” which can tailor your bills to your financial situation. In reality, non-profit hospitals are mandated by law to provide low-income patients with assistance schemes.
Furthermore, seeking for assistance might sometimes put a stop to bill collectors. Hospitals prefer to work out payment arrangements with patients for a variety of reasons, including the fact that collectors often keep half of whatever they receive from patients.
Another tip: If at all feasible, negotiate with an ombudsman, who is there to resolve patient complaints, rather than the billing department, which is there to collect income.
Furthermore, many individual doctors work with patients who are unable to pay the full cost of their care on a regular basis. Their rules differ, but many doctors consistently reduce bills for the poor by 50%, and in some cases by as much as 10%.
Visit an Urgent Care Center
If you aren’t facing a true emergency, you might want to go to an urgent care center in your area. Minor diseases and injuries can be treated by urgent care experts, who may be nurse practitioners rather than physicians. They’ll also tell you if they think you need more medical attention or if you should go to the emergency room.
Urgent care is often half the price of an emergency room visit. A trip to an urgent care center, for example, will cost you the office visit as well as any prescription pill or lab fees you may require.
An ER visit, on the other hand, will include hospital fees, doctor fees, prescription and lab fees, all of which are usually often far greater than those charged by an urgent care center. If you don’t have health insurance, you may have to pay in advance at an urgent care center.
Is Kaiser Permanente only in California?
California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. are all part of the Kaiser Permanente service region. You’re covered for emergency and urgent care anywhere in the world if you’re a Kaiser Permanente member.
How do I advocate for myself at Kaiser?
It’s easy to feel helpless when you’re dealing with cancer. There’s a lot of information to process and decisions to make. Allowing your doctors to make decisions for you may appear to be a more convenient option.
Doctors are, without a doubt, medical specialists. You, on the other hand, are the expert on yourself and your life. It’s for this reason that being a “active patient” is crucial. That means you make decisions in collaboration with your doctor. You can be sure that your selections reflect your values and views when you’re an active patient. You’re also more likely to be satisfied with your treatment and have better medical outcomes.
How can you become an active patient?
There are numerous methods to become more involved and active in your treatment. Here are some suggestions:
Pose inquiries. It may be beneficial to write down your questions before to your doctor’s appointment. Then you may rest assured that you’ll learn everything you need to know. If you don’t understand something your doctor says, don’t be hesitant to ask him or her to repeat it in a different way. You have a right to know what’s wrong with you and what your options are.
Bring a friend or family member to help you. Every appointment should be attended by a trustworthy friend or relative. This individual can assist you remember what your doctor stated by taking notes for you.
Assist your doctor. Always attempt to provide a complete and genuine response to your doctor’s queries. Your doctor will be able to better manage your care as a result of this. Make sure you attend all of your appointments and take all of your medications as directed. Any changes in your health should be reported to your doctor.
Make use of your entire crew. Learn about the other members of your treatment team and how they might assist you. A nurse practitioner, for example, may be more willing to answer queries than your doctor. A social worker can assist you with insurance questions or suggest a support group. Furthermore, some hospitals employ “patient navigators” who can assist you in obtaining the care and services you require.
Participate in each decision. Share your feelings and values with your doctor because they are a vital component of any decision. You might also want to consult with family members who will be affected by your decisions.
Make a strategy. Find out what you can do once you and your doctor have made a decision to ensure that you get the greatest possible outcome. Make a list of the next steps you’ll take. This will give you more confidence in your selection.
What questions do people ask?
When you’re in the doctor’s office, it can be difficult to think properly, especially when the topic is as serious and complex as cancer. As a result, writing down the questions you wish to ask and bringing the list with you is a good idea.
Here are some often asked questions by cancer patients. Other questions that are significant to you may arise.
How can you find reliable information?
The majority of individuals use the Internet to learn more about cancer. This can be perplexing because some online information is inaccurate or based on faulty medical research. There are, nevertheless, ways to locate reliable information.
Look for reputable websites. A number of national organizations are dedicated to assisting cancer patients. Among the most important are:
- The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is a government- (NCI). This government organization provides up-to-date information on cancer, including how to prevent, detect, and treat it. If you have any questions, you can contact professional personnel. There are Spanish-speaking employees on hand. Visit www.cancer.gov or call 1-800-422-6237 for more information.
Consult your physician. They may be able to provide you with information or provide recommendations for reputable websites. Aside from that, several hospitals have public medical libraries.
What can you do about getting test results?
One of the most difficult aspects of cancer therapy is waiting for a result that could change your life.
Most doctors, labs, and hospitals are extremely busy, and you may not want to cause any inconvenience. However, testing can reveal vital information for your future.
- Find out when the results will be available. Inquire about a phone number where you may check on your results.
- Call the number you were provided if you don’t get your results when you expect them. If your findings are not yet ready, inquire as to when they will be and then call back.
- As soon as possible, meet with your doctor to discuss your results and what they mean for you.
What happens if you don’t have health insurance in 2021?
If you didn’t have health insurance, what would you do? If you didn’t have coverage during 2021, unlike previous tax years, you won’t be charged a fine. This means you won’t require an exemption to avoid paying the fine.
Is Kaiser part of Covered California?
California is insured. Kaiser plans are available in all 19 price areas of California.
Kaiser is a “in-house” network, which means that a Kaiser medical group, a Kaiser laboratory, a Kaiser pharmacy, and a Kaiser hospital all provide medical services. Members may see their doctor, get lab work done, and get their prescriptions filled all in one place, which is quite handy.
In areas where one or more of these choices are unavailable, Kaiser has partnered with a local hospital, pharmacy, and physician group to provide access to Kaiser Permanente sites and doctors. Kaiser Permanente members are covered for emergency and urgent care needs anywhere in the world.
What is the difference between Medi-Cal and Covered California?
Medi-Cal provides low-cost or no-cost health insurance to low-income California citizens. California’s health insurance marketplace, Covered California, allows residents to compare plans and apply for financial assistance if they qualify. Medi-Cal and Covered California health insurance both provide a comparable list of vital benefits known as essential health benefits. When you use our one application, you can apply for both programs at the same time.