Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plans Review

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Kaiser Permanente is fairly popular among Medicare beneficiaries. In fact, 6% of all Medicare Advantage plan beneficiaries were members of a Kaiser Permanente Medicare plan in 2024.

Kaiser offers a number of different types of Medicare Advantage plans – also known as Medicare health plans or Medicare Part C – and they offer some Medicare Part D prescription drug plan options. Below is a review of Kaiser Permanente Medicare plans, including the types of plans they sell, the markets in which they're sold and the benefits they offer.

Kaiser Permanente has been a leader in health care innovation since 1945. What began as a health care program for shipyard and steel mill workers now serves more than 12.5 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. 

Headquartered in Oakland, CA, Kaiser Permanente is among the nation’s largest not-for-profit health plans and reported revenue of more than $100 billion in 2024. There are 40 Kaiser Permanente hospitals and 616 medical offices employing more than 300,000 doctors, nurses and other workers.

Kaiser Permanente offers Medicare Advantage and/or Medicare Part D plans in parts of the following states or areas:

• California
• Colorado
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Maryland
• Oregon
• Virginia
• Washington
• District of Columbia

Plan selection will vary within each location, and each type of Kaiser Permanente Medicare plan may not be available where you live.

Medicare Advantage is an alternative way to receive Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Part B) benefits. Medicare Advantage plans may also offer benefits not found in Original Medicare such as dental, vision, prescription drugs or hearing. 

Kaiser Permanente offers a variety of HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) plans in some parts of the country.

An HMO plan typically allows you to enjoy significant cost-savings when you see a health care provider that is among your plan’s network of participating providers. You will usually select a primary care physician (PCP) who will help to coordinate your care within the plan’s network and give you referrals to visit with specialists when you need specialized care.

Some Medicare Advantage plans like the ones from Kaiser Permanente (depending on your plan) can include things like:

• Monthly premiums as low as $0
  
  
• $0 copayments for primary care doctor visits
  
  
• Full coverage of qualified preventive health services
  
  
• Dental coverage
  
  
• Vision and eyewear coverage
  
  
• Hearing aid benefits
  
  
• Prescription drug coverage
  
  
• Membership to SilverSneakers fitness classes or the Silver & Fit program – depending on where you live and the plan you join – at no extra charge. SilverSneakers and Silver & Fit are fitness programs designed specifically for seniors that are offered at thousands of gyms and community centers around the U.S.

Kaiser Permanente may offer several HMO Medicare Advantage plans in some areas, and consumers may have a variety of cost and coverage options. Kaiser Medicare Advantage plan names may include a subcategory such as standard, enhanced, silver, gold or value to reflect the various benefit levels.

Plan names and selection may vary by ZIP code.

Kaiser Medicare D-SNP Plans

Kaiser Permanente also offers a dual-eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) in some locations. A Medicare Advantage D-SNP is a special type of Medicare Advantage plan that is available to people who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid (“dual eligible”) and has a package of benefits tailored to those needs. All Kaiser Medicare D-SNPs include prescription drug coverage.

Medicare Part D provides coverage for prescription medications. Kaiser Medicare Advantage plans can include Part D prescription drug benefits in select states and counties that may include the following features:

• Deductibles and/or copayments as low as $0 for certain drugs
  
  
• Up to 90-day supplies of drugs delivered right to your home
  
  
• A Medication Therapy Management (MTM) program for members who take multiple prescription drugs
  
  
• Qualification for the Medicare Extra Help program, which provides financial assistance for Part D plan membership

In many cases, you will save money on out-of-pocket drug costs if you fill your prescriptions through a Kaiser-preferred pharmacy.

Kaiser Permanente Part D coverage includes a wide range of drugs such as generic drugs, name brand drugs and even specialty drugs. You can review the Kaiser Permanente drug formulary for your drug plan to find out exactly which drugs are covered and how much they may cost.

Every year, Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-star rating system. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issues a star rating for every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan as well as for every insurance company who provides these plans. 

In 2025, all Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage health plans were rated either 4 or 4.5 stars out of 5 by Medicare.

Kaiser Permanente held a credit rating of AA- from Fitch Ratings in 2024. J.D. Power ranked Kaiser Permanente as having the highest level of customer satisfaction in five of the regions the company served in 2024. 

Kaiser Permanente makes it easy to find participating doctors, pharmacies and other health care providers. Kaiser Permanente has medical facilities where nearly all of your needed covered services can be found under one roof.

Does Kaiser Medicare Cover Vision?

Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage plans can include vision coverage which may include routine eye exams, glasses and contact lenses.

Does Kaiser Medicare Cover Dental?

Some Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage plans may include dental coverage.

Dental benefits under a Kaiser Medicare Advantage plan may include things like exams, teeth cleanings, fillings or dentures.

In order to be eligible for a Kaiser Medicare plan, you must meet the eligibility requirements for those plans in addition to living within the service area of the Kaiser Permanente plan you wish to join.

For Medicare Advantage plans, you must be enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B. To enroll in a standalone Part D plan, you need only to be enrolled in Medicare Part A. 

You also must enroll during a qualified enrollment period. For Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D, this is typically either during your Initial Enrollment Period (when you first become eligible for Medicare) or during the Annual Enrollment Period that takes place each fall (often called the fall Medicare Open Enrollment Period, from October 15 to December 7 each year). 

Helpadvisor.com is owned and operated by Tranzact, the parent company of TZ Insurance Solutions LLC, which is the owner/operator of Medicareadvantage.com and other websites mentioned on HelpAdvisor and which has a financial relationship with some of the carriers listed on HelpAdvisor.