Kaiser Permanente has extended the deadline to Jan. 15 for receipt of the first month's premium for a Jan. 1 coverage effective date. In addition, Kaiser Permanente has begun calling new members to inform them about the deadline extension and about the alternative to pay their premium online. The deadline extension is in response to consumer confusion about deadlines related to the Affordable Care Act.
Members who completed an application, but have not yet received an invoice, can still make appointments and receive care. "We want everyone who completed an application by the enrollment deadline to receive our high-quality care and services," said Ken Hunter, senior vice president, Kaiser Permanente Insurance Exchange Operations.
In the last two weeks of December, the volume of enrollment applications increased substantially. Kaiser Permanente is still processing enrollment files and expects all invoices to be mailed by the end of next week. "Members should not be concerned if they haven't received an invoice yet," said Hunter. "As long as payment is postmarked or submitted online by Jan. 15, Kaiser Permanente will honor their membership retroactive to Jan. 1."
Upon receiving their invoice, members can pay their premium online at kp.org/paypremium. Members will be prompted for their account number and invoice number, both of which can be found on their invoice.
Kaiser Permanente is experiencing an even higher volume of calls than typically received at the start of the year due to inquiries related to the ACA. To avoid longer than normal hold times, members may access the information they need via kp.org, or they may wish to call during non-peak hours, which are typically after 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time or on weekends.