Virtual Plus FAQ

For most of your care, including care from a specialist, you’ll start with a virtual visit. Virtual visits are covered at no charge. At the virtual visit, a Kaiser Permanente doctor or other clinician will give you the care and prescriptions you need or refer you for in-person care. Virtual options include 24/7 Care Chat online messaging, 24/7 advice line, scheduled video visits and phone appointments, e-visits, and email for nonurgent questions. You can easily schedule a video visit or phone appointment at kp.org/wa/getcare, where you will be asked to sign in to your secure member account. You can also be referred for additional in-person care by a clinician during an in-person visit, such as a preventive visit. Kaiser Permanente care teams are connected to each other — and you — through your electronic health record. Whether you’re seen virtually or in person, you’ll get coordinated care from a team who knows your health.

To use some services, you’ll need an internet connection with good bandwidth. You’ll want to be comfortable with technology such as email and texting. If you can reliably watch movies on your phone or computer from a streaming company, you most likely have what you need to connect with us using online chat, video visits, and other virtual care options.

No. While most in-person care requires a referral, some visits do not, such as your first primary care visit, annual preventive visit, and urgent and emergency care.

Five of our medical centers have urgent care centers that are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: Bellevue, Seattle (Capitol Hill), Olympia, Silverdale, and Tacoma.

For urgent care during business hours, call your doctor's office or the 24/7 advice line. For urgent care after business hours, on weekends, or on holidays, call the advice line at 206-630-2244 for the Seattle area or 1-800-297-6877 for all other areas in Washington state. A clinician will listen to your concerns and direct you to the most appropriate care.

If you need emergency care and are admitted to a non-network hospital, you or a family member must notify us within 24 hours or as soon as possible, after care begins, or as soon as is reasonably possible. Call the Hospital Notification Line listed on the back of your Kaiser Permanente member ID card to help make sure your claim is accepted. Keep receipts and other paperwork from non-network care. You’ll need to submit them with any claims for reimbursement after you get back.

In a life-threatening emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number. If you are unable to do so, ask someone to call for you or to take you to the nearest emergency care facility. Remember that you may save money if you go to an emergency room at any of our contracted hospitals if possible. The 24/7 advice line can also direct you to the best place near you for your particular emergency.

If you need emergency care and are admitted to a non-network hospital, you or a family member must notify us within 24 hours or as soon as possible, after care begins, or as soon as is reasonably possible. Call the Hospital Notification Line listed on the back of your Kaiser Permanente member ID card to help make sure your claim is accepted. Keep receipts and other paperwork from non-network care. You’ll need to submit them with any claims for reimbursement after you get back.

To pay the lowest cost, start your care with a virtual visit, covered at no charge. You’ll get the care and prescriptions you need or be referred for in-person care. This referred in-person care will usually cost less than starting in-person care on your own. Preventive care and your first primary care visit are provided in person at no charge.

You can fill up to a 30-day supply of the first prescription for a new medication at an in-network pharmacy or through our mail-order pharmacy. Then you’ll get most refills and maintenance medications through mail order. Delivery is free and usually takes 1 to 2 days. If your medication can’t be mailed, you can get up to a 30-day supply at a network pharmacy. If you have medication questions or want help transferring prescriptions, you can chat online or have a video visit with a pharmacist.

Virtual care may not be available outside of Washington due to state laws that prevent doctors from providing care across state lines. You can get in-person care at any Kaiser Permanente medical facility in the country, in-network urgent care facility, or CVS MinuteClinic® in states without Kaiser Permanente facilities. You do not need a referral for these in-person care options, but you will have a cost depending on your plan benefits. Call Member Services at 1-877-832-9919 (TTY 711). They can help you find the closest in-network care option, whether you're traveling within the United States or internationally.

At Kaiser Permanente Washington, we believe in getting healthy and staying that way. That's why we offer an array of wellness resources and put a priority on preventive care, so you can avoid problems before they start. From your annual wellness visit and recommended screenings, to a proactive health risk assessment questionnaire, to access to health coaching 24/7, we provide you with a variety of clinical help so that you can be your healthiest self. We also have tobacco cessation programs, classes and support groups, and a whole lot more. See the Plan Perks page for details.