Get care in a Kaiser Permanente area

When you travel to another Kaiser Permanente area, you can usually get the same routine and specialty care you’d get at home. That includes in-person care from Kaiser Permanente in all or parts of California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, and Washington, D.C. — plus 24/7 virtual care anywhere in the U.S.1

Find doctors and locations

Jump to care options

U.S. map with key, showing the Kaiser Permanente areas. See footnote 2 (CA, CO, D.C., GA, HI, MD, OR, VA, WA) and other areas.
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Need care outside a KP area?

Explore your non–Kaiser Permanente care options away from home.

Get care outside Kaiser Permanente areas

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Use your digital ID card

Download our mobile app to access Kaiser Permanente care on the go.

Download the app

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Call the travel line

Speak with a customer service representative about your travel care options.

Call 951-268-3900 (TTY 711)3

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24/7 virtual care 

Connect with a Kaiser Permanente clinician by phone or online anytime, day or night.1 Phone and video visits are best for routine care or urgent health needs that aren’t life-threatening.

Get care now

 
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Routine in-person care
For nonurgent health needs, including new and existing symptoms, you can schedule an in-person visit with Kaiser Permanente. Note: Medicaid/Medi-Cal plans are not eligible for routine in-person care away from home.

How to get routine care in a different Kaiser Permanente area

To schedule routine in-person care with Kaiser Permanente while you’re traveling, you’ll need to create a new medical record number for the area you’re visiting. Just sign in to your kp.org account and select “Add an area of care” to get started.

Be sure to save your new medical record number somewhere easy to find. If you need help finding it later, you can call the travel line at 951-268-3900 (TTY 711).3 Or we can look it up when you check in at a Kaiser Permanente facility.

After you get your new medical record number, you’ll be able to use your online account to schedule appointments and track and manage the Kaiser Permanente care you get while traveling. Be sure you’ve selected the right area of care in your kp.org account when scheduling appointments and viewing your services.

Note: You don’t need a new medical record number to access virtual, urgent, or emergency care.4

Add a new area of care
 

Need to manage someone else’s care?

If you’re caring for a Kaiser Permanente member who’s traveling, you can help track and manage their care by adding them to your kp.org account. To get started, sign in to kp.org and select “Act for a family member” under Profile & Preferences.

Visit kp.org/locations anytime to search for Kaiser Permanente doctors and facilities by ZIP code. To widen your search area, you may need to select “Advanced search.” You can also call the travel line at 951-268-3900 (TTY 711).3

Find doctors and locations

Schedule an appointment

Once you’ve created your medical record number for the region you’re visiting, you can call our travel line at 951-268-3900 (TTY 711) to schedule an appointment.3 Some appointments can be scheduled on kp.org or in our app. To schedule an appointment, sign in to your kp.org account and select the area of care you want. 

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Urgent and emergency care

If you or a family member has an urgent or emergency medical concern while traveling, get care right away. You don’t have to get approval from Kaiser Permanente first.

Urgent care is best for illnesses or injuries that need prompt attention but aren’t life-threatening, like stomach pain, eye infections, or the flu. For medical and mental health emergencies, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.4

How to get urgent or emergency care in a different Kaiser Permanente area

Go to the nearest urgent care facility. Visit kp.org/locations to find one near you.

Find doctors and locations

For medical or mental health emergencies, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.4 Always use the emergency services available where you are.

If you get urgent or emergency care from a provider other than Kaiser Permanente, let us know as soon as you can. Once your condition is stable, you or the doctor treating you should call the number on the back of your ID card to let us know you’ve received urgent or emergency care and discuss next steps. Please review your Evidence of Coverage or other coverage documents for specific timing considerations.

You may need to get Kaiser Permanente approval before receiving:

  • Care after your condition is stable, or post-stabilization care
  • Transportation after your visit
  • Outpatient follow-up care, like removing stitches or a cast

Be sure to confirm with the doctor treating you that Kaiser Permanente has approved your care. Depending on your coverage, we may choose a different provider to handle the services you need.

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Prescriptions

You can fill your prescriptions at any Kaiser Permanente pharmacy. You’re covered for the same medications no matter where you’re traveling.
 

How to fill prescriptions while traveling

In a Kaiser Permanente area, you can fill your prescriptions at any of our pharmacies. Call the travel line at 951-268-3900 (TTY 711) for help finding one.3 If you run out of medication during your trip, we can also help you transfer your prescription for refills.

When you pick up your medication, be sure to bring your physical or digital ID card. At Kaiser Permanente facilities, you’ll usually pay your normal copay, coinsurance, or deductible. But depending on your plan, you may need to pay the full cost of your medication at the pharmacy and file a claim for reimbursement later.5

Prescription delivery: Delivery is available for most prescription drugs, except in the following states: Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and South Dakota.


 

Frequently asked questions

If you’re in an area with Kaiser Permanente facilities, you can get most of the same care you’d get at home. Depending on your plan, you may need a referral or preapproval for some specialty services. And in some areas, we may refer you to one of our affiliated providers.

For a full list of covered services under your plan, please refer to your Evidence of Coverage or other coverage documents. Note: Health savings account (HSA), Medicaid/Medi-Cal, and QUEST plan members aren’t covered for the same services when traveling.

If you’ll be away from home for a long period of time, call the travel line at 951-268-3900 (TTY 711) to learn about your coverage and care options.3 In some cases, you may need to purchase supplemental coverage for routine care, like a student health plan if you’ll be getting care while away at college. 

If your plan covers care in other Kaiser Permanente areas, you’ll usually pay your normal copay, coinsurance, or deductible for care and prescriptions. If you owe more, you’ll get a bill later. If you get care from other providers, you’ll need to pay the full cost upfront and file a claim for reimbursement later.5 For more specific information about your plan, review your Evidence of Coverage or other coverage documents. 

Learn more about travel claims

To view your Kaiser Permanente medical record number from an area other than Washington:

  • Sign in to your kp.org account using a web browser.
  • Next to “Region of care” at the top of the page, choose the area you want.
  • Under “My Account,” select “Profiles & Preferences.”
  • Select “Member information” to view your medical record number.

To view a medical record number from Washington, call the travel line: 951-268-3900 (TTY 711).3 We can also look it up when you check in at a Kaiser Permanente facility.

When you get care from another Kaiser Permanente area, you can track and manage it online or in the app:

  • Sign in to your kp.org account.
  • Go to “Region of care” at the top of the page. If you’re using the app, look for “Area of Care” under Profile & Settings.
  • Select the area you want.

If you can’t find a nearby Kaiser Permanente facility at kp.org/locations, try selecting “Advanced search” to expand your search. 

For urgent care and emergency services, if there aren’t any nearby Kaiser Permanente facilities, you can go to another provider in your area. You’ll have to pay the full cost of care upfront and file a claim for reimbursement later.5

Learn more about filing a claim for reimbursement

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Footnotes

1When appropriate and available. If you travel out of state, phone appointments and video visits may not be available in select states due to licensing laws. Laws differ by state.
2Service areas of health plans other than Hawaii and Washington, D.C., are not statewide.
3This number can be dialed from both 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.
4If you believe you have an emergency medical condition, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. For the complete definition of an emergency medical condition, please refer to your Evidence of Coverage or other coverage documents.
5The 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.