Care while traveling

Before you travel

What should I do before my trip? 

Where can I get care while traveling?

You’re covered for emergency and urgent care anywhere in the world.3 If you’re traveling in another Kaiser Permanente service area, you can also get most routine and specialty care as a visiting member,4 subject to the limitations and exclusions in your Evidence of Coverage, Certificate of Insurance, or Summary Plan Description issued by your home region. For specialty care, make sure you’ve been referred by a Kaiser Permanente doctor in the Kaiser Permanente service area you’re visiting.

Check your Evidence of Coverage, Certificate of Insurance, or Summary Plan Description for more details.5

To learn more about the services covered under your specific plan, call the Away from Home Travel Line at 951-268-3900.1

What services can I get while traveling to another Kaiser Permanente service area?

You can get the following services in another Kaiser Permanente service area:4, 6

Inpatient services

Hospitalization, including inpatient surgery and other services you may get while you’re admitted

Outpatient services

  • office visits
  • outpatient surgery (with certain exceptions)
  • allergy tests and allergy injections
  • physical, occupational, and speech therapy7
  • prenatal and postnatal care
  • chemotherapy
  • vision exams (same coverage as in your home area)

X-ray and laboratory services

In or out of the hospital

Prescription drugs

If the drug is covered in your home area

Mental health/chemical dependency services

Same coverage as in your home area

Skilled nursing facility services8

Home health care services8

Hospice services8

To learn more about the services covered under your specific plan, call the Away from Home Travel Line at 951-268-3900.1

What services may I get in another Kaiser Permanente service area with prior approval?

If these services are included in your plan, they may be available to you but require approval from your home region.6 To see what services are included in your plan, check your Evidence of Coverage, Certificate of Insurance, Summary Plan Description, or Member Handbook.

  • Services related to infertility and artificial conception
  • Gender confirmation surgery and related services, except services provided by all regions
  • Bariatric surgery and treatment services
  • Organ and blood/marrow transplants and related services
  • Durable medical equipment
  • Chronic dialysis
  • Orthotics and prosthetics

What services aren’t available to me while traveling to another Kaiser Permanente service area?

These services, equipment, and supplies aren’t available to you in other Kaiser Permanente areas:6

  • Services not covered under your plan as described in your Evidence of Coverage, Certificate of Insurance, Summary Plan Description, or Member Handbook
  • Dental services and dental X-rays (nonemergency or nonurgent dental services/X-rays may be covered)
  • Alternative medicine and complementary care
  • Hearing aids, eyeglasses and contacts

Am I covered if I go to college or spend a long period of time outside a Kaiser Permanente service area?

You’re covered for emergency and urgent care anywhere in the world.3,9

For routine care (such as checkups, preventive screenings, and flu shots), your level of coverage will depend on the services outlined in your plan.6 If you’re spending a long period of time outside of a Kaiser Permanente service area, you should check what coverage options are available to you by contacting the Away from Home Travel Line. Some plans may direct you to purchase supplemental coverage for routine care (i.e. student health plan).

No matter where you go, save the Away from Home Travel Line number to your phone so it’s easy to find: 951-268-3900. Our travel team will be happy to help you 24/7 with coverage and care questions before you leave and while you’re away.1

How can I prepare for a healthy college experience?

A little planning makes a big difference.9 Here are a few easy ways to prepare:

  • Take care of any routine care needs before heading to school — like checkups and flu shots, as well as support for mental health, sleep issues, and infectious diseases.
  • Refill your prescriptions, including contact lenses. Be sure to order refills at least 1 or 2 weeks before you need them so there’s time to process your request.
  • If you’re managing a health condition, check in with your doctor before you go.
  • Check with your school to see if you need a student health plan or international travel coverage.
  • Get support with your questions about health coverage, care, and claims. Call today at 951-268-3900 (TTY 711).1

Explore more tips for a healthy experience away from home as a Kaiser Permanente member.

What if I go to college in another Kaiser Permanente service area?

When you stay in another Kaiser Permanente service area, you can get most of the same services that you would get close to home.6,9

We’ve got you covered. When you need care, go to the nearest Kaiser Permanente location. When you come home, you’ll be able to use your existing care team.

There are Kaiser Permanente locations in:

  • California
  • Colorado
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Maryland
  • Oregon
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • Washington D.C.

You can find our facilities at kp.org/locations.

For help with getting established in another Kaiser Permanente region, call the Away from Home Travel Line at 951-268-3900.1

What if I go to college outside a Kaiser Permanente service area?

Most Kaiser Permanente plans will still cover urgent and emergency care while you’re outside your service area.3,9

Note: Certain plans offer out-of-area dependent coverage. If you’re in one of these plans, you may be able to get routine, nonurgent services even if your school isn’t near a Kaiser Permanente facility. To find out if your plan qualifies, call the Away from Home Travel Line at 951-268-3900.1

For routine care (such as checkups, preventive screenings, and flu shots), consider signing up for a student health plan through your college. Keeping up with routine care means you can:

  • get routine physical exams
  • get tested for STDs (like chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV), along with prevention information
  • keep track of your mental health, such as your risk for depression
  • learn about chemical dependency and how to avoid it
  • discuss your weight management and fitness needs

Routine care also includes:

  • office visits
  • outpatient surgery (with certain exceptions)
  • allergy test and allergy injections
  • physical, occupational, and speech therapy
  • prenatal and postnatal care

Keep your Kaiser Permanente coverage, so you can:

  • get care at home during breaks
  • keep in touch with your doctor
  • access your electronic medical record
  • call the Away from Home Travel Line at 951-268-3900 for help with coverage and care questions while you’re away1

What if my prescription amount isn’t enough for my trip?

You may be able to refill many prescriptions early or get more than usual. To ask for an early refill or an extra refill:

  • Visit any Kaiser Permanente pharmacy near you and make your request.
  • If you need doctor approval, the pharmacy will contact your doctor.
  • Be sure to ask for your medication at least 1 or 2 weeks before your trip so there’s time to process your request.
  • If you travel by plane, keep your prescription medications with you in your carry-on baggage.

What costs should I expect?

In a Kaiser Permanente Service Area: If your plan lets you get care when you visit another Kaiser Permanente service area, you’ll pay what you normally would in your home region – for example, a copay, coinsurance, or deductible payment. If what you pay doesn’t cover all of what you owe for the care you received, you’ll get a bill for the difference later. For more specific information on your coverage, please check your plan details.

Outside a Kaiser Permanente Service Area: For emergency or urgent care in the U.S., the provider may bill Kaiser Permanente directly.3 But you’ll still need to pay any copays, coinsurance, or deductibles that apply under your plan.5

International Travel: Kaiser Permanente generally doesn’t pay providers outside the United States directly. If you get emergency or urgent care, you’ll need to pay the bill yourself. In many countries, providers require payment before giving care. Costs can be high, so be ready to cover any unexpected costs. You may want to get extra travel insurance for your trip. If you need assistance while traveling internationally, call the Away from Home Travel Line at 951-268-3900.1

Reimbursement: You can request a reimbursement for emergency or urgent care when you pay for it out of pocket.3,5,10 Just be sure to submit a claim for reimbursement once you get back home. For details on filing a claim, visit the After you travel page.

Reviewed: May 2018
Kaiser Permanente reviewers

© 2018 Kaiser Permanente

1 This number can be dialed inside and outside the United States. Before the phone number, dial “001” for landlines and “+1” for mobile lines if you’re outside the country. Long-distance charges may apply, and we can’t accept collect calls. The phone line is closed on major holidays (New Year’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, July Fourth, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas). It closes early the day before a holiday at 10 p.m. Pacific time (PT), and it reopens the day after a holiday at 4 a.m. PT.

2 Apple, iPhone, and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Google Play, the Google Play logo, and Android are trademarks of Google LLC.

3 For the complete definition of an emergency medical condition, please refer to your Evidence of Coverage, Certificate of Insurance, Summary Plan Description, Membership Agreement, or Member Handbook.

4 Visiting member benefits are not available to HSA, Medi-Cal, and QUEST plan members. Contact Member Services in your home area for details.

5 Medicare members should check their Evidence of Coverage (EOC) for more details. In the Mid-Atlantic States Region, all Direct Pay Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus High Option and Standard Option plan members have worldwide emergency care and urgent care coverage, and all Direct Pay Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus Basic Option plan members have emergency care and urgent care coverage while inside the United States and its territories only.

6 This does not include a complete list of exclusions or available services. Services may vary by service area. Please refer to your Evidence of Coverage, Certificate of Insurance, Summary Plan Description, Membership Agreement, or Member Handbook for details of your specific coverage. For more specific information about visiting member services, call the Away from Home Travel Line at 951-268-3900.

7 For members in Maryland, coverage for physical, occupational, and speech therapy is different. Call Member Services to learn more.

8 Certain limitations apply to home health care.

9 As a member, you can get most of the same services you would get in your home area when visiting another Kaiser Permanente service area.

10 The amount members are reimbursed will depend on what their copays or coinsurance are, whether they have a deductible, and other plan limitations, consistent with the terms of the member’s Evidence of Coverage or other coverage documents.

Travel resources

For international travelers

Get the care you need before you go.

Away from Home Travel Line

Call 951-268-3900 for travel support anytime, anywhere. (Closed major holidays.)*