August 9, 2022

Getting care while traveling just got easier

Kaiser Permanente’s agreement with Cigna provides more convenient access to care when you’re away from home.

The last thing anyone wants to worry about while traveling for work or on vacation is how to get emergency or urgent health care if you need it during your trip. A new collaboration with Cigna eases that concern for Kaiser Permanente members.

Our members who are away from home can now access Cigna’s national PPO, or preferred provider organization, network of physicians and providers should they need emergency or urgent care during their travels.

“This new feature provides our members an improved experience, added convenience, and greater confidence that if they get sick or are injured while away from home, they will have access to great care,” said Arthur Southam, MD, executive vice president of health plan operations for Kaiser Permanente. “This gives our members another option to get the high-quality care they need, wherever they are.”

More ways to get care

Our members now have even more ways to get care when and how they need it — virtually and in person. With Get Care Now on kp.org, members have 24/7 access to care from Kaiser Permanente health care professionals by phone or video. For in-person care while away from home, Kaiser Permanente members are covered for urgent and emergency care, anywhere in the world. This new access to Cigna’s U.S. provider network makes getting that care easier and more convenient.

As part of this improved experience with Cigna, members with Kaiser Permanente HMO or exclusive provider organization plans won’t pay up front or have to file a claim for reimbursement — they will only be responsible for their regular copay or other cost share.

And if it’s more convenient, members can still go to any urgent or emergency care facility while traveling and submit a claim to Kaiser Permanente for reimbursement.

Learn more about how to get urgent or emergency care away from home.

Helpful tips before traveling

Are you a Kaiser Permanente member who travels on business trips, to visit family, or for vacation? Make sure you know how to get care while away from home.

Register on kp.org so you can see your health information online and email your Kaiser Permanente doctor’s office with nonurgent questions anytime.
Get our Kaiser Permanente app to stay connected when you’re on the go and for quick access to your digital ID card. You can also order a new or replacement card before you travel.
Save the Away from Home Travel Line phone number, 951-268-3900 (TTY 711), to your mobile device for travel support anytime, anywhere.
See your doctor (sign in required) if you need to manage a condition during your trip.
Refill your eligible prescriptions (sign in required), 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.
Make sure you understand what services are covered while you travel. Call the Away from Home Travel Line if you have any questions.

Visit kp.org/travel to learn more.

Note: The Cigna PPO Network refers to the health care providers (doctors, hospitals, specialists) contracted as part of the Cigna PPO for Shared Administration. Cigna is an independent company and not affiliated with Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., and its subsidiary health plans. Access to the Cigna PPO Network is available through Cigna's contractual relationship with the Kaiser Permanente health plans.

The Cigna PPO Network is provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company. The Cigna name, logo, and other Cigna marks are owned by Cigna Intellectual Property, Inc.

The Cigna PPO Network is not available to HMO and EPO members enrolled in coverage issued by Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington and Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington Options, Inc.