Kaiser Permanente vs. Aetna Insurance

Which health insurance company is the best option for you and your family? Compare Kaiser Permanente and Aetna side by side.

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Kaiser Permanente vs. Aetna: What You Need to Know

After the war ended the shipyard workforce fell from 90,000 to 13,000. Only 12 of 75 medical group providers remained. On July 21, 1945, the Permanente Health Plan opened to the public to continue the health care delivery set up by Kaiser and Garfield. In 10 years, more than 300,000 people enrolled in Northern California with the support of two unions, the International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union and the Retail Clerks Union.

In 1953, the name of the health plan and the hospitals were changed from Permanente to Kaiser Permanente. Even today, there are ties between the nonprofit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals and the Permanente Medical Groups. 

Aetna sold its group life and disability businesses to The Hartford for $1.45 billion. Aetna also responded to the hurricane season with donations exceeding $470,000 in Texas, Louisiana, and parts of the Caribbean. The company also matched donations from associates that totalled more than $230,000. Aetna is acquired by CVS Health Corporation at the end of 2017.

In 2018, The Aetna Foundation focused on the fight against the opioid epidemic in the U.S. with grants totaling $6 million. In collaboration with U.S News & World News, the Aetna Foundation reveals the Healthiest Communities from 3,000 communities nationwide, across 10 categories.

To learn more about each company, you can check out the Kaiser Permanente Overview and Aetna Overview.

What is Kaiser Permanente and Aetna Insurance Rating?

Which health insurance company is better? We've made it easy to compare companies side by side. See how Kaiser Permanente and Aetna ranked among the industry ratings.

Comparison Kaiser Permanente Aetna
Year Founded 1945 1853
Medicare Star Rating 5 stars (out of 5)  
BBB Rating A+ A+
NAIC Complaint Index 0.36% for group health 6.27 for individual health insurance
Market Share Percentage   4.53
Financial Strength   Excellent

Pros & Cons of Kaiser Permanente or Aetna

Pros

Kaiser Permanente
  • Affordable marketplace plans with different tiers of coverage.
  • Low complaint ratio for group health plans.
Aetna
  • Aetna is one of the largest insurance carriers and has a vast network of providers.

Cons

Kaiser Permanente
  • Kaiser Permanente is only available in California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington D.C.
Aetna
  • It’s not very easy to buy Aetna Insurance unless it’s offered by an employer.

Kaiser Permanente and Aetna Mobile Apps Options

The Kaiser Permanente app allows users to find doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies, view claims, and pay your bill. They also offer an app called Humana Pharmacy which helps you to manage your prescriptions.

The Aetna Health app allows you to find a doctor in your area and see estimates of what certain procedures may cost. You can also view your benefits, review account balances, and manage your claims. The App is available on ios and Android.

Kaiser Permanente Mobile App
iOS      3.1 2K users
Android      4.3 16,728 users
Aetna Mobile App
iOS      4.5 29.3K users
Android      3.4 2,316 users

Kaiser Permanente and Aetna Enrollment Process

Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente offers plans through the health insurance marketplace. You can begin searching plans here or you can get several free health insurance quotes.

Each state has its own marketplace. If you’re not sure where to begin, visit https://www.healthcare.gov/. You can also schedule a personal appointment with a local Kaiser Permanente Medicare specialist: 1-866-973-4588.

Aetna

Aetna is available through participating employers. You can also buy an individual or family plan directly from Aetna, the health insurance marketplace or you can get several free quotes with SmartFinancial.

At this time, Aetna offers Medicare, Medicaid, student health insurance and international insurance. For individual and family plans, they offer plans through eHealth, which compares rates from several companies for Affordable Care Act plans, short-term plans and medical indemnity plans.

How to File a Claim with Kaiser Permanente and Aetna Insurance

Kaiser Permanente

To submit claims for reimbursement, contact member services at 1-888-901-4636. Otherwise, you should be covered except for copay. If you need reimbursement for Medicare Part D prescriptions, you must use the Member reimbursement drug claim form (PDF). For all other prescriptions (non-Medicare and Medicare without Part D) you must use this Prescription claim form (PDF).

Aetna

If you use a network doctor or hospital, your claims will be submitted by that provider. If you see an out-of-network provider, you need to submit the claim yourself. You must submit a completed claim form or alternative documentation via fax or mailing address. As an alternative to sending a claim form, supply a description of services, a bill of charges from the provider and any medical documents you received from your provider.

Common Questions About Aetna and Kaiser Permanente Insurance

Kaiser Permanente

What is Kaiser Insurance?

Kaiser Permanente is a nonprofit, group-practice health plan with headquarters in Oakland, California. It is an example of high-quality, integrated health care.

Does Kaiser Permanente have good reviews?

Kaiser Permanente has a better than average complaint ratio, especially for it’s group plans.

Who is eligible for Kaiser Permanente?

Individuals, families and people whose employers offer Kaiser Permanente are eligible for coverage. Kaiser also offers Medicare Supplement plans and Medicare Advantage, which is the alternative to Original Medicare.

What pharmacies accept Kaiser Permanent’s health insurance?

If your health plan benefits include a prepaid prescription drug plan, you must use a Kaiser pharmacy to obtain drugs at plan prices. You can fill your initial prescription at many MedImpact pharmacies, which include Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Kroger, Safeway and Costco, but you’ll need to order any refills through a Kaiser Permanente pharmacy or a mail-order refill service through Kaiser.

Check out our full list of common questions about Kaiser Permanente.

 

Aetna

What type of health plans does Aetna offer?

Aetna offers Aetna Medicare, Aetna Medicaid, student health insurance and international insurance. They offer Affordable Care Act plans, short-term plans and medical indemnity plans through e-Health, which compares insurance partners’ rates for you. Or, you can just visit here for free health insurance quotes.

What pharmacy accepts Aetna insurance?

Medicare Part D plans have a network of participating pharmacies you can find here. For all other types of plans, visit here to find a pharmacy.

Does Aetna insurance cover hearing aids?

Most Aetna plans exclude coverage for hearing aids. Any applicable benefit plan exclusions and limitations for coverage of hearing aids would apply to air conduction hearing aids, implantable hearing aids and semi-implantable hearing aids.

Is Aetna insurance Medicaid?

Aetna offers Medicaid plans, which vary according to individual state Medicaid programs and has a different name in each state.

Check out our full list of common questions about Aetna.

Kaiser Permanente and Aetna Insurance Contact Info

Kaiser Permanente Contact Info
Address 1 Kaiser Plaza, Oakland, CA 94612
Phone 1 (510) 271-5910
Website https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kpthrive/
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqZdtT_o6xZbMkRbLZJ7Zvg
Twitter https://twitter.com/aboutKP
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/kaiser-permanente/
Aetna Contact Info
Address 151 Farmington Ave., Hartford, CT 06156
Phone 1 (800)-872-3862
Website https://www.aetna.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aetna/
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/aetna
Twitter https://twitter.com/Aetna
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/aetna/

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