Kaiser Permanente’s Medicare website recognized

OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 9, 2012—Kaiser Permanente’s Medicare plan website received MedicareWebWatch certification, and scored the highest rating among 137 Medicare Advantage websites nationwide for a second consecutive year, according to independent research firm, HealthMetrix Research Inc. The websites are rated for excellence in content, member connectivity, design and privacy assurance.

The Kaiser Permanente Medicare plan website, which received more than one million visits in 2011, educates Medicare beneficiaries about the four parts of Medicare (Parts A, B, C and D), outlines eligibility requirements, and clearly illustrates cost and coverage options. Eligible customers, when they are ready, also can enroll in Kaiser Permanente’s Medicare plan directly from the website.

“The MedicareWebWatch certification validates Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to informing seniors about their Medicare plan options, particularly as more seniors turn to our Medicare website for information,” said Herman Weil, senior vice president, Kaiser Permanente Medicare program. “Our website is especially important right now as beneficiaries learn about Medicare’s new Special Enrollment Period for plans rated 5 stars for excellence by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.”

Kaiser Permanente’s California, Northwest, Colorado and Hawaii regions are all rated five stars for 2012 for excellence in five categories by CMS. Those categories are preventive care, managing chronic conditions, member satisfaction, customer service and pharmacy benefits.

“Seniors in Kaiser Permanente’s five-star plans’ service areas can enroll on kp.org/medicare without waiting for open enrollment in the fall,” Weil said. “They must meet certain criteria and reside in a service area where a Kaiser Permanente five-star plan is offered.”

More and more Medicare beneficiaries are using Kaiser Permanente’s convenient online enrollment feature. Self-service online enrollments grew by 138 percent during the 2011 annual enrollment period from October 15 through December 7.

“Our Medicare members are active Internet users and appreciate the ease of both online enrollment and Kaiser Permanente’s personal health record, My Health Manager on kp.org, which they can use once they become members,” said Anna-Lisa Silvestre, vice president, Kaiser Permanente online services. “In fact, more than half of Kaiser Permanente’s Medicare beneficiaries have already registered on kp.org. Of those, 60 percent are over the age of 70.”

Through My Health Manager, Kaiser Permanente Medicare members can securely email their doctors, check lab results, make appointments, refill prescriptions, and learn about their health concerns, anywhere, any time.

Kaiser Permanente currently provides care to more than 1 million Medicare members in nine states and the District of Columbia, and leads the nation among Medicare health plans according to the 2011 National Committee for Quality Assurance’s Quality Compass. Seniors can learn more about the five-star Special Enrollment Period and the Medicare Star Quality Ratings from Kaiser Permanente by visiting www.kp.org/medicare, www.kp.org/medicarestars or calling 855-817-5831. CMS also offers details on its website, www.medicare.gov, and at 800-MEDICARE (633-4227).