Kaiser Permanente Georgia Individual Department and Kaiser Permanente Colorado Individual Department allows applicants to have the option of doing a pre-screen before they actually submit an application. This allows them the convenience of finding out if it’s worth filling out an entire application. In some cases, the pre-existing health condition would be cause for an automatic denial. By doing a pre-screen this individual can find out before filling out the application so as not to waste time filling out a long application when the ultimate result will be a denial of health insurance coverage.

If an applicant has a pre-existing they would like to be pre-screened for, they may send an email or handwritten notice with the following information:

1. Applicants name
2. Condition
3. Date of diagnoses
4. List of prescriptions including dosage and frequency
5. Signature and date

The Medical Review team will evaluate the situation and notify the applicant or the broker if the applicant will qualify for the coverage. They will also disclose whether or not there will be a surcharge on the monthly premium for the health insurance coverage. If the pre-screen says that the applicant is still eligible despite the pre-existing condition, that applicant will need to then complete and submit the individual and family application for health insurance coverage.

Posted: May 28th, 2010 under Georgia Individual, Colorado Individual.
Comments: none

If you are looking to apply for family medical insurance from Kaiser Permanente, now is the time. Rates are going up next month on Kaiser Permanente Georgia Individual and Family Health Insurance. Those who apply now can lock in the current rates for one year. Apply now to get your enrollment forms in before the rate increase. Kaiser Georgia Plans include HMO, Now, Now Plus, Balance and HSA type plans. Most plans cover doctor visits and specialist visits with a copay before the deductible. Call our live support line at 1-877-752-4737 to get quotes or find out about plan benefits.

Kaiser Permanente Georgia Individual and Family Applications must be submitted soon. The last day to submit a paper application is May 28, 2010 at 8:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. Kaiser Permanente Georgia Enrollment will be closed on May 31st for the Memorial Day Holiday. For online health insurance applications, the last day for submission will be June 1, 2010 at 4:30 PM Eastern Standard Time.

Posted: May 27th, 2010 under Georgia Individual.
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On February 1, 2010, Kaiser Permanente Georgia instituted a new high speed underwriting process for Georgia individual health insurance applications. Clean applications (complete applications without pre-existing conditions) can now be approved within 24 hours of receipt of the application in the underwriting department. This fast approval process is called “jet underwriting”.

In the past, clean applications were taking around one week to be processed, and applications with pre-existing conditions were taking two weeks or longer. This new jet underwriting process will encourage healthy applicants to apply with Kaiser Permanente. In a day and age, when health insurance companies are getting closer and closer to instant approval for some applicants, this will help Kaiser Permanente stay competitive in a rapidly changing market.

To qualify for the 24-hour jet underwriting approval, the following must be true:
1. The application must be completed in its entirety. All information needs to be current (i.e. menstrual information, height/weight, SSN).
2. The application agreement must be signed and dated by all applicants over age 18 or a parent/legal guardian if the primary applicant is under age 18.
3. The authorization release must be signed and dated by all applicants over the age of 12. If an applicant is age 12-17 and enrolling individually, a parent/legal guardian must also sign.
4. The applicant must not be a current or prior Kaiser Permanente Georgia member.
5. Applicants must not show a prescription drug history (excluding birth control) as provided by the Milliman Intelliscript report.
6. Premium (check, money order, or credit card info) must be submitted with the application.

If an application does not meet these requirements, normal underwriting procedures will apply.

Posted: March 15th, 2010 under Georgia Individual.
Comments: none

Kaiser Permanente has made some recent changes to their Underwriting Guidelines. These changes affect newborn coverage and applicants who have used tobacco in the last twelve months. Tobacco users can expect a 20% increase in their premiums. Those applying for Georgia Individual Health Insurance Newborn Baby Coverage (who are not currently Kaiser members) will have to wait until the first of the month after their child has reached 60 days old to get coverage. See below for more details.

Tobacco Surcharge

Will a 20% surcharge automatically be added to the premium for anyone who has used tobacco at anytime in the last 12 months?
A surcharge will be given, but the application will not go through without the member accepting the policy at the new rate. On all surcharge applications, a letter is sent informing the applicant whether they want to move forward with coverage at the new rate.

Newborn Coverage

When applying for a newborn, do parents have to wait 60 days before applying? Do they have to provide the proof of release before being approved?
Parents applying for newborns do not need to wait 60 days to apply as long as they have the proof of release. Once the applicant receives the proof of release, they can apply for coverage. The coverage will not be able to go into effect until the first of the month after the child has turned 60 days old.

Are the newborns of current Kaiser members covered under the mothers plan for the first 31 days?
Yes, if the parents are members their newborn children will be covered for the first 31 days after they are born.

How long do current Kaiser members need to wait before getting coverage for their newborn babies? Will current Kaiser members’ newborn babies be forced to have a break in coverage?
Current Kaiser members do not need to wait until the child has turned 60 days old in order to get coverage. This wait time is only for new applicants, the newborn children of non-Kaiser members. If the parents are current members, the baby will be automatically covered for the first 31 days and can be covered with no break in coverage with a written statement from the parents.

Posted: March 8th, 2010 under Georgia Individual.
Comments: none

Tomorrow is the Kaiser Permanente Georgia Individual Health Insurance deadline for individual and family applicants. The cut off time is 4:30 PM Eastern Standard Time. If a customer submits an application after this time, the effective date will be the 1st of January. If you have any questions, please call 1-877-752-4737.

Tomorrow is the last chance to lock in the current 2009 rates. Rates are going up after tomorrow. If you apply today or tomorrow, you can lock in the current rates for one year.

Posted: November 30th, 2009 under Georgia Individual.
Comments: none

We recently had a question about a customer applying for herself and her college age daughter. She wanted to get herself and her daughter on a Kaiser Permanente Georgia Family Plan. See below for an explanation of how to apply if you want to include a college student on your family medical insurance plan.

In order to enroll yourself and your college student, start by getting family health insurance quotes. With the first radio button selected (“Individual & Family Plans - Ages 19-64”), enter your Zip Code and click “Get Quotes.” Next, enter your date of birth under self and your son/daughter’s under child. Also, be sure to click the check box for “Full time college student?” to the right of your child’s date of birth. Once your quotes appear, click “Apply” next to the plan of your choice. Then proceed through the application. To make sure that your college student child is put on your family plan and not on a separate individual plan, we recommend that you make a note in the section for additional information that you want to be combined on a family plan.

Also, you will need to get a Student Certification from the college your child is attending and fax it to the Kaiser Medical Review Team at 404-365-4146.

Posted: August 3rd, 2009 under Georgia Individual.
Comments: none

Kaiser Permanente Georgia competes with Coventry and Blue Cross/Blue Shield in the Atlanta, GA area. Often, Kaiser has the lower rates. However, beyond offering more affordable health insurance plans, the Kaiser Georgia medical plans have certain benefit advantages which include maternity coverage with no waiting period, labs and X-rays included with a copayment, mental health included (not as a separate rider) and preventative screenings at no cost.

More Affordable Georgia Health Insurance
Below are some of the Kaiser Permanente plans along with age groups where Kaiser Permanente has the price advantage over comparable Coventry and Blue Cross/Blue Shield Plans:

1. HMO Plan 1000
You will find that the Kaiser Permanente HMO Plan 1000 is more affordable than comparable plans from our competitors for the following gender/age bands:
Male 40 – 44                       Female 50-54
Male 45-49                          Female 55-59
Male 50-54                          Female 60-64
Male 55-59
Male 60 -64

2. HMO Plan 2000
The Kaiser Permanente HMO Plan 2000 offers more affordable rates than the competitors on the following gender/age bands:
Male 45-49                        Female 50-54
Male 50-54                        Female 55-59
Male 55-59                        Female 60-64
Male 60-64

3. HMO Plan 5000
The Kaiser HMO Plan 5000 has lower prices for the following gender/age bands:
Male 50-54
Male 55-59
Male 60-64

Posted: July 7th, 2009 under Georgia Individual.
Comments: none

What is the deadline to apply for a Kaiser Permanente Georgia Individual Health Insurance Plan? In the past, we have told Kaiser Georgia applicants that the deadline to apply for the first of the month is the first of the month, meaning you could apply on the first and get an effective date for that very day. However, the answer to this question is now a bit more complicated. The answer depends on whether you are applying with a paper application or whether you are applying online. 

Online Applicants
If you are applying online for a KP Georgia Personal Advantage Plan, the deadline is the last day of the month at 4:30 PM. Your application must be completed and submitted, and payment must be received. If these requirements are met by 4:30 PM Eastern Standard Time on the last day of the month, then you are eligible for an effective date of the next day. 

Paper Applications
If you apply using a paper application, the deadline is 4:30 PM on the first of the month in order to qualify for an effective date of that very day. This means the application must be received (by mail or by fax) along with the payment for the first month’s premium by 4:30 PM Eastern Standard Time on the first. 

Note Regarding Last Minute Applications
If your application/payment is submitted before the deadlines described above, you will qualify for your coverage to start on the first. However, applications usually take one to two weeks to process by underwriters. Applicants who wait until the last minute to apply may not find out whether they are approved until a week or two after their desired effective date.

Posted: May 14th, 2009 under Georgia Individual.
Comments: none

The deadline is actually the last day of the month to apply online for a Kaiser Permanente Georgia Individual Plan. For this month, you will need to apply by the May 31st deadline in order to get a June 1st effective date. If you apply online after 5/31, your effective date will be 7/1, which means you won’t get in before the rates go up.

If it’s June 1st and you still want to get in for a June 1st effective date, there may be a way. You would have to submit a paper application and fax it in by 4:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. Fax your application to 1-866-439-9993.

Processing applications usually takes a week or two, so I’d recommend not waiting until the deadline. If you apply sometime in mid-May, you will be much more likely to find out if you’ve been approved before your effective date.

Posted: May 7th, 2009 under Georgia Individual.
Comments: none

Kaiser Georgia introduces the Now Plans! These 11 new plans are available for an April 1, 2009 effective date. With these new plans, there are now more ways than ever to save on Individual Health Insurance in Georgia. View a listing of all the current Personal Advantage Plans along with a brief explanation below.

• 7 Now Plus Plans: These plans include doctor visits, RX and maternity coverage before the deductible.
• 4 Now Plans: Save money on plans without prescription coverage.
• 5 Balance Plans: Save money by cutting maternity coverage. These plans are especially good for females who aren’t interested in maternity (prenatal and delivery services).
• 2 Balance Plans with HSA: Save on HSA plans without maternity.
• 4 Straight HSA Plans: Save on plans with only preventative coverage before the deductible. Also, with these plans you have the option to deduct healthcare expenses from your federal taxes by opening a health savings account. The HSA 100% Plans offer some of the lowest out-of-pocket maximums. The HSA 80% Plans are major medical plans with lower premiums. 

Kaiser Personal Advantage Plans Offer 3 Ways to Save Money
1. Cut maternity by choosing a Balance Plan.
2. Cut prescription drugs by choosing a Now Plan without RX.
3. Choose a plan with a higher deductible.

Maternity Coverage
For those specifically interested in maternity coverage, we recommend the Premier Plan or the $3,500/100% Deductible Plan with HSA. On the Premier Plan, it you’ll pay $3,000 to have a baby ($1,000 for obstetrician/midwife and $2,000 for hospital delivery). On any of the other Now Plans, your cost would be $4,500 ($1,500 for obstetrician/midwife and $3,000 for hospital delivery). The $3,500/100% Deductible Plan offers 100% coverage after the deductible, thus making the cost $3,500 for maternity coverage on this plan.

For more details on these Kaiser Permanente Plans, click Georgia Health Plans.

Posted: March 10th, 2009 under Georgia Individual.
Comments: none