How to plan for a healthy trip

Kaiser Permanente care is available in many areas across the United States, including all or parts of:

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

You can get care in these areas and find Kaiser Permanente locations at kp.org/kpfacilities.

You’re covered for emergency and urgent care anywhere in the world.³ If you’re traveling in another Kaiser Permanente area, you can also get most routine and specialty care as a visiting member, 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 area you’re visiting.

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

To learn more about the services covered under your specific plan, call Member Services at 1-888-901-4636  (TTY 711).

Learn how to get urgent care in a state without Kaiser Permanente providers.

• Register on kp.org so you can see your health information online and email your Kaiser Permanente doctor’s office with nonurgent questions anytime.
• Save the Member Services phone number, 1-888-901-4636 (TTY 711), to your mobile device for travel support anytime, anywhere.
• Get our Kaiser Permanente Washington mobile app to stay connected when you’re on the go (for iPhone® and Android™).³
• See your doctor if you need to manage a condition during your trip.
• Refill your eligible prescriptions, including contact lenses, to have enough while you’re away. Be sure to refill 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.
• Print a summary of your electronic health record in case you don’t have internet access.
• Make sure your immunizations are up to date, including your yearly flu shot.
• Ensure your immunizations are up to date, including your yearly flu shot and the updated COVID-19 vaccine. Plan to get tested for COVID-19 too, if necessary. 
• Learn about immunizations required for international travel. If you’re leaving the country, ask your doctor or local travel clinic about vaccinations or medications you may need.
• Pack your Kaiser Permanente ID card. It has important phone numbers on the back. If you need to, you can order a new or replacement ID card.
• Make sure you understand what services are covered while you travel. Call Member Services  if you have any questions.

In a Kaiser Permanente area: If your plan lets you get care when you visit another Kaiser Permanente 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 area: For emergency or urgent care in the United States., the provider may bill Kaiser Permanente directly.4 But you’ll still need to pay any copays, coinsurance, or deductibles that apply under your plan.

International travel: If you get emergency or urgent care, submit any bills/invoices to Kaiser Permanente for review and processing. In many countries, providers require payment before giving care. You may want to get extra travel insurance for your trip. If you need assistance with care coordination or payment, while traveling internationally, call the Member Services at 206-901 4636 (TTY 711).¹ For details on filing a claim, visit the After you travel page.
Note: If you are being hospitalized, call the Emergency Notification Line, which can assist with care coordination out of the country: 1-888-457-9516 or 206-901-4609.¹

Reimbursement: You can request a reimbursement for emergency or urgent care when you pay for it out of pocket.4, 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.

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

A little planning makes a big difference. 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, see 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 1-888-901-4636 (TTY 711).

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

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

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.

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

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 Member Services at 1-888-901-4636 (TTY 711).

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 STIs (like chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV), and receive prevention information
• Keep track of your mental health, such as your risk for depression
• Learn about substance use disorder 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 health record
• Call Member Services at 1-888-901-4636 (TTY 711) for help with coverage and care questions while you’re away

Review our frequently asked questions about getting care when you’re away at college. 

Learn how to get urgent care in a state without Kaiser Permanente providers.

Before getting care in another Kaiser Permanente area, you’ll need to create a new medical record number for the area you’re visiting.

• Sign in to you kp.org account on a desktop computer. Select “Add a region of care” from the region drop down menu and follow the prompts to create a medical record number and add the new region of care to your account. 
• If you need additional assistance, please call the Visiting Member line at 1-800-446-4296 (TTY 711).

After you get your medical record number, you’ll be able to schedule appointments right away, access 24/7 care by phone or online, and track and manage the Kaiser Permanente care you get while traveling.

You can get the following services in another Kaiser Permanente 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 therapy
• 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 services

Home health care services

Hospice services

To learn more about the services covered under your specific plan, call Member Services at 1-888-901-4636 (TTY 711).

If the following services are included in your plan, they may be available to you but require approval from your home region.⁵ 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 affirmation 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

These services, equipment, and supplies aren’t available to you in other Kaiser Permanente areas:⁴

• 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

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

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

No matter where you go, save the Member Services' number to your phone so it’s easy to find: 1-888-901-4636 (TTY 711). Our travel team will be happy to help you with coverage and care questions before you leave and while you’re away.

Learn how to get care in a state without Kaiser Permanente providers.