Care & Coverage
Bridge Plan
We collaborate with local governments and community-based not-for-profit organizations to provide health coverage for uninsured families in need. The Bridge Plan helps those who cannot afford health coverage for reasons such as a change in job status or income.
Bridge Plan members pay a small premium to receive medical care from Kaiser Permanente providers, and we cover nearly all of the costs. In 2010, we served more than 6,000 people in the Bridge Plan.
For more information regarding the Bridge Plan, including eligibility requirements and contact information of our local partners, visit www.kpbridge.org.
Children’s Health Care Partnerships
Community partners help us identify uninsured children who are ineligible for public health care programs. Children enrolled in local child health programs receive free primary care services at Kaiser Permanente medical centers.
Nearly 2,400 children relied on Kaiser Permanente in 2010, ensuring our communities' most vulnerable members received access to quality medical care.
This program is offered in the following counties:
- Montgomery County, Md. – (301) 628-3442
- Prince George's County, Md. – (301) 883-7858
- Fairfax County, Va. – (703) 324-5182
- Prince William County, Va. – (703) 792-7348
Medical Financial Assistance
Our Medical Financial Assistance program (MFA) helps low-income, uninsured, and underserved patients receive access to care. The program provides temporary financial assistance or free care to patients who receive health care services from our providers, regardless of whether they have health coverage or are uninsured. The MFA program is one of the most generous in the health care industry and is available to those patients in greatest need.
Through our charity care program, Kaiser Permanente is committed to:
offering financial counseling to determine if a patient is eligible for public assistance or Kaiser Permanente financial assistance, providing free or extremely low-cost care to low-income people for medically necessary services provided at our facilities and through our providers, and not taking legal action for nonpayment of medical bills against any person who is unemployed and without other significant income.
Who’s eligible for Medical Financial Assistance?Eligibility is based on financial need. In general, people whose household income is at or below 400 percent, of the federal poverty level are eligible for the MFA program. Families or individuals with higher incomes may qualify on a case-by-case basis.
Members must undergo income and means testing which includes an evaluation of the member’s available assets, which includes active retirement accounts that are income generating, unless a financial hardship can be documented and excludes a member’s primary residence and one automobile per adult household. However, no asset test should be performed for patients whose income is equal to or less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
Patients who do not qualify for the MFA program, and whose income is at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty level, may be eligible for the Discount Payment Program for partial financial assistance. For instances when services are not eligible or the individual does not qualify for Medical Financial Assistance, requests for reconsideration may be submitted in writing to the director of patient financial services. The director’s decision will be final.
Patients who have experienced a catastrophic event may be eligible under special circumstances, regardless of household income.
Please note, the MFA program is not a form of health insurance and under no circumstances will MFA be applied to health plan premiums.
How do I know if my income level meets the guidelines for Medical Financial Assistance?
View the federal poverty guideline charts. To calculate income level at 400 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, multiply by 4.
Please note that for uninsured patients, charges for emergency and medically necessary care are limited to no more than amounts generally billed to Kaiser members or the Medicare reimbursement rates.
How can I learn more about the Medical Financial Assistance Program and how to enroll?There are several ways that you can learn more about the MFA and applying to the program:
Program information and applications are available in both English and Spanish.
