You and Kaiser Permanente


We believe that a little prevention goes a long way. That's why we suggest getting familiar with Kaiser Permanente today, before you even need us.

Start right here, at kp.org. You can visit doctor home pages to learn about each physician's approach to care. Then register online to choose a physician, make routine appointments, email your doctor's office, and much more.

While you're getting to know us, be sure to check out our preventive care recommendations to keep you and your family healthy all year round.

We take your patient rights seriously. We honor your right to privacy and believe in every person's right to considerate and respectful care.

Member and patient rights and responsibilities

At Kaiser Permanente, we believe maintaining good health is a very important part of your well-being. Providing the quality health care necessary to maintain your good health requires a partnership between you and your health care professionals. You need information to make appropriate decisions about your care and lifestyle choices. Your health care professionals need your involvement to ensure you receive appropriate and effective health care. Mutual respect and cooperation are essential to this partnership. It's important to know what you can expect and what we need from you when you receive care from us.

Kaiser Permanente does not unlawfully discriminate, exclude people, or treat them differently because of age, race, ethnic group identification, color, national origin, cultural background, ancestry, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, source of payment, genetic information, citizenship, primary language, or immigration status.

Position on Visitors:
Visitors are welcome at all Kaiser Permanente facilities.  Family and friends play a key role in helping loved ones recover during and after their stay in the hospital.

Patients who are capable of making decisions have the right to choose who can visit them. This includes anyone important to the patient, regardless of age, race, ethnic group identification, color, national origin, cultural background, ancestry, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disability, citizenship, primary language, or immigration status.

Kaiser Permanente Member/Patient/Visitor Code of Conduct: We are committed to ensuring a safe, secure, and respectful environment for everyone – including our members, patients, visitors, clinicians, providers, health care teams, and employees.

We expect all individuals to demonstrate civil and respectful behavior while on our premises or in virtual or home-health care interactions.

We expressly prohibit:

Abusive Language Including Threats and Slurs

  • Engaging in any action or behavior that would reasonably be interpreted as gender, racial, cultural, religious, or sexual orientation bias.
  • Engaging in any action or behavior that would reasonably be interpreted as abusive, aggressive, inappropriate, disruptive or uncivil.

Sexual Harassment

  • Engaging in behavior that would reasonably be interpreted as sexual harassment.

Physical Assault

  • Any act or threat of violence, or intimidation by means of an act or threat of violence, or behavior that would reasonably be interpreted as an act or threat of violence.

Weapons

  • Bringing a weapon to or carrying a weapon at: any KP premises, KP working environment, or KP care delivery areas.
  • The use or brandishing of any weapon or instrument to threaten or assault anyone on KP premises or in a KP working environment, including home health care services.
  • To maintain a safe, secure and respectful environment for all, we reserve the right to take appropriate measures to address abusive, disruptive, inappropriate, threatening, or aggressive behavior.  
Your rights and responsibilities

Kaiser Permanente is your partner in total health care. Active communication between you and your physician as well as others on your health care team helps us to provide you with the most appropriate and effective care.

We want to make sure you receive the medical information you need about your health plan, the people who provide your care, and the services available, including important preventive care guidelines. Having this information contributes to your being an active participant in your own medical care.

We also honor your right to privacy and believe in your right to considerate and respectful care.

This section details your rights and responsibilities as a Kaiser Permanente member and gives you information about member services, specialty referrals, privacy and confidentiality, and the dispute-resolution process.

As an adult member, you exercise these rights yourself. If you are a minor or are unable to make decisions about your medical care, these rights will be exercised by the person with the legal responsibility to participate in making these decisions for you.

You have the right to:

Receive information about Kaiser Permanente, our services, our practitioners and providers, and your rights and responsibilities. We want you to participate in decisions about your medical care. You have the right, and should expect to receive as much information as you need to help you make decisions. This includes information about:

  • Kaiser Permanente
  • The services we provide, including behavioral health services
  • The names and professional status of the individuals who provide you with service or treatment
  • The diagnosis of a medical condition, its recommended treatment, and alternative treatments
  • The risks and benefits of recommended treatments
  • Preventive care guidelines
  • Ethical issues
  • Complaint and grievance procedures

We will make this information as clear and understandable as possible. When necessary, we will provide interpreter services.

Participate in a candid discussion of appropriate or medically necessary treatment options for your condition(s), regardless of cost or benefit coverage. You have the right to a candid discussion with your Plan physician about appropriate or medically necessary treatment options for your condition(s), regardless of cost or benefit coverage. Ask questions, even if you think they're not important. You should be satisfied with the answers to your questions and concerns before consenting to any treatment. You may refuse any recommended treatment if you don't agree with it or if it conflicts with your beliefs.

Kaiser Permanente does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, ethnicity, color, national origin, cultural background, ancestry, language, religion, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disability or genetic information.

Medical emergencies or other circumstances may limit your participation in a treatment decision. However, in general, you will not receive any medical treatment before you or your representative gives consent. You and, when appropriate, your family will be informed about the outcomes of care, treatment, and services that have been provided, including unanticipated outcomes.

Participate with practitioners and providers in making decisions about your health care. You have the right to choose an adult representative, known as your agent, to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to do so, and to express your wishes about your future care. Instructions may be expressed in advance directive documents such as an advance health care directive. Please refer to your Guidebook for more information about advance directives.

For more information about these services and resources, please contact our Member Service Contact Center, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (closed holidays) at 1-800-464-4000 (English), 1-800-788-0616 (Spanish), 1-800-757-7585 (Chinese dialects), or 1-800-777-1370 (TTY for the hearing/speech impaired).

Have ethical issues considered. You have the right to have ethical issues that may arise in connection with your health care considered by your health care team. Kaiser Permanente has a Bioethics/Ethics Committee at each of our medical centers to assist you in making important medical or ethical decisions.

Receive personal medical records. You have the right to review and receive copies of your medical records, subject to legal restrictions and any appropriate copying or retrieval charge(s). You can also designate someone to obtain your records on your behalf. Kaiser Permanente will not release your medical information without your written consent, except as required or permitted by law.

To review, receive, or release copies of your medical records, you'll need to complete and submit an appropriate written authorization or inspection request to our Medical Secretaries Department at the facility where you get your care. They can provide you with these forms and tell you how to request your records. Check your medical facility in this Guidebook or visit kp.org to find addresses and phone numbers for these departments. If you need help getting copies of your medical records, call our Member Services Contact Center at 1-800-464-4000 or 1-800-777-1370 (TTY).

Receive care with respect and recognition of your dignity. We respect your cultural, psychosocial, spiritual, and personal values, your beliefs, and your personal preferences.

Kaiser Permanente is committed to providing high-quality care for you and to building healthy, thriving communities. To help us get to know you and provide culturally competent care, we collect race, ethnicity, language preferences (spoken and written) and religion information. This information can help us develop ways to improve care for our members and communities. This information is kept private and confidential and not used in underwriting, rate setting, or benefit determination. We believe that providing quality health care includes a full and open discussion regarding all aspects of medical care and want you to be satisfied with the health care you receive from Kaiser Permanente.

Use interpreter services. When you call or come in for an appointment or call for advice, we will make every effort to communicate with you in the language you are most comfortable using. For more about our interpreter services, please refer to your Guidebook or call our Member Service Contact Center at 1-800-464-4000 or 1-800-777-1370 (TTY).

Be assured of privacy and confidentiality. All Kaiser Permanente employees and physicians, as well as practitioners and providers with whom Kaiser Permanente contracts, are required to keep your protected health information (PHI) confidential. PHI is information that includes your name, Social Security number, or other information that reveals who you are, such as race, ethnicity, and language data. For example, your medical record is PHI because it includes your name and other identifiers.

Kaiser Permanente has strict policies and procedures regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of member PHI that includes the following:

  • Kaiser Permanente's routine uses and disclosures of PHI.
  • Use of authorizations.
  • Access to PHI.
  • Internal protection of oral, written, and electronic PHI across the organization.
  • Protection of information disclosed to Plan sponsors or employers.

Please review the section titled "Privacy practices" in the Guidebook. For more information about your rights regarding PHI as well as our privacy practices, please refer to our Notice of Privacy Practices on our website, kp.org, or call our Member Services Contact Center at 1-800-464-4000 or 1-800-777-1370 (TTY).

Participate in physician selection without interference. You have the right to select and change your personal physician within the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program without interference, subject to physician availability. To learn more about nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and selecting a primary care practitioner, please refer to your Guidebook.

Receive a second opinion from an appropriately qualified medical practitioner. If you want a second opinion, you can either ask your Plan physician to help you arrange for one, or you can make an appointment with another Plan physician. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. will cover a second opinion consultation from a non-Permanente Medical Group physician only if the care has been preauthorized by a Permanente Medical Group. While it is your right to consult with a physician outside the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, without prior authorization you will be responsible for any costs you incur.

Receive and use member satisfaction resources, including the right to voice complaints or make appeals about Kaiser Permanente or the care we provide. You have the right to resources such as patient assistance and member services, and the dispute-resolution process. These services are provided to help answer your questions and resolve problems.

A description of your dispute-resolution process is contained in your Evidence of Coverage booklet, Certificate of Insurance, or the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program materials. If you need a replacement, contact your local Member Services department to request a copy. If you receive your Kaiser Permanente coverage through an employer, you can also contact your employer for a current copy. When necessary, we will provide interpreter services, including ASL, at no cost to you.

For more information about our services and resources, please contact our Member Service Contact Center at 1-800-464-4000 or 1-800-777-1370 (TTY).

Make recommendations regarding Kaiser Permanente's member rights and responsibilities policies. If you have any comments about these policies, please contact our Member Service Contact Center at 1-800-464-4000 or 1-800-777-1370 (TTY).

You are responsible for the following:

Knowing the extent and limitations of your health care benefits. A detailed explanation of your benefits is contained in your Evidence of Coverage booklet, Certificate of Insurance, or the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program materials. If you need a replacement, contact your local Member Services office to request another copy. If you receive your Kaiser Permanente coverage through an employer, you can also contact your employer for a current copy.

Notifying us if you are hospitalized in a non-Kaiser Permanente hospital. If you are hospitalized in any hospital that is not a Plan hospital, you are responsible for notifying us as soon as reasonably possible so we can monitor your care. You can contact us by calling the number on your Kaiser Permanente ID card.

Identifying yourself. You are responsible for carrying your Kaiser Permanente identification (ID) card and photo identification with you at all times to use when appropriate, and for ensuring that no one else uses your ID card. If you let someone else use your card, we may keep your card and terminate your membership.

Your Kaiser Permanente ID card is for identification only and does not give you rights to services or other benefits unless you are an eligible member of our Health Plan. Anyone who is not a member will be billed for any services we provide.

Keeping appointments. You are responsible for promptly canceling any appointment that you no longer need or are unable to keep.

Supplying information (to the extent possible) that Kaiser Permanente and our practitioners and providers need to provide care. You are responsible for providing the most accurate information about your medical condition and history, as you understand it. Report any unexpected changes in your health to your physician or medical practitioner.

Understanding your health problems and participating in developing mutually agreed upon treatment goals, to the highest degree possible. You are responsible for telling your physician or medical practitioner if you don't clearly understand your treatment plan or what is expected of you. You are also responsible for telling your physician or medical practitioner if you believe you cannot follow through with your treatment plan.

Following the plans and instructions for care you have agreed to with your practitioners. You are responsible for following the plans and instructions that you have agreed to with your physician or medical practitioner.

Recognizing the effect of your lifestyle on your health. Your health depends not only on care provided by Kaiser Permanente, but also on the decisions you make in your daily life — poor choices such as smoking or choosing to ignore medical advice or positive choices such as exercising and eating healthy foods.

Being considerate of others. You are responsible for treating physicians, health care professionals, and your fellow Kaiser Permanente members with courtesy and consideration. You are also responsible for showing respect for the property of others and of Kaiser Permanente.

Fulfilling financial obligations. You are responsible for paying on time any money owed to Kaiser Permanente.

Knowing about and using the member satisfaction resources available, including the dispute-resolution process. For more about the dispute-resolution process, see the Guidebook.

A description of your dispute-resolution process is contained in your Evidence of Coverage booklet, Certificate of Insurance, or the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program materials. If you need a replacement, contact our Member Services Contact Center to request a copy. If you receive your Kaiser Permanente coverage through an employer, you may also contact your employer for a current copy. Our Member Service Contact Center can also give you information about the various resources available to you and about Kaiser Permanente's policies and procedures.

If you have any recommendations or comments about this policy, contact our Member Service Contact Center 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (closed holidays) at 1-800-464-4000 (English), 1-800-788-0616 (Spanish), 1-800-757-7585 (Chinese dialects), or 1-800-777-1370 (TTY for the hearing/speech impaired).

Reviewed by: Mark Groshek, MD, March 2014
Reviewed by: Xochitl Perez, March 2014