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Kaiser Permanente vs. HCSC Insurance
Which health insurance company is the best option for you and your family? Compare Kaiser Permanente and HCSC side by side.
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 Written & Edited by Fran Majidi Fran MajidiFran Majidi manages content on SmartFinancial's website. She's had nearly a decade's worth of experience writing about i... Read more |
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Kaiser Permanente vs. HCSC: 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.
HCSC serves over 15 million members with a variety of group and individual health care plans, services and life insurance products. As a pioneer in many states, HSBC was the first to do many things. In Illinois, HCSC was the first to provide coverage for bone marrow transplants, heart transplants and to provide group health insurance to rural and small communities as well as the first CareVan as a mobile immunization program. In Texas, they were the first to provide coverage for cancer treatment, catastrophic diseases like polio, leukemia and diptheria, and they provided healthcare starting at birth. They also provided coverage to migrant farmworkers in Texas. In New Mexico, HCSC was the first to offer PPO coverage, point-of-service coverage, electronics claims exchange with providers, customer service for large group accounts and in-hospital medical coverage on a per-visit basis. In Oklahoma, HCSC was the first to create a mobile health screening unit and free screenings for vision, hearing, glaucoma, blood, and blood pressure.
To learn more about each company, you can check out the Kaiser Permanente Overview and HCSC Overview.
What is Kaiser Permanente and HCSC Insurance Rating?
Which health insurance company is better? We've made it easy to compare companies side by side. See how Kaiser Permanente and HCSC ranked among the industry ratings.
| Comparison | Kaiser Permanente | HCSC |
|---|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1945 | 1929 |
| Medicare Star Rating | 5 stars (out of 5) | 3 stars (out of 5) |
| BBB Rating | A+ | A+ |
| NAIC Complaint Index | 0.36% for group health | 0.40% for individual health |
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Pros & Cons of Kaiser Permanente or HCSC
Pros
Kaiser Permanente
- Affordable marketplace plans with different tiers of coverage.
- Low complaint ratio for group health plans.
HCSC
- Affordable marketplace plans with different tiers of coverage.
Cons
Kaiser Permanente
- Kaiser Permanente is only available in California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington D.C.
HCSC
- HCSC only operates in 5 states: Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Kaiser Permanente and HCSC 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.
Each state has its own HCSC / Blue Cross Blue Shield app on iTunes and GooglePlay. The app allows users to find doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies, view claims, pay bill, and manage prescriptions.
| Kaiser Permanente Mobile App | ||
|---|---|---|
| iOS | 3.1 | 2K users |
| Android | 4.3 | 16,728 users |
| HCSC Mobile App | ||
|---|---|---|
| HCSC mobile app varies by State | ||
Kaiser Permanente and HCSC 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.
HCSC
HCSC offers plans through the health insurance marketplace. You can begin searching plans here or you can get several free health insurance quotes with SmartFinancial.
Each state has its own marketplace. If you’re not sure where to begin, visit https://www.healthcare.gov/. Remember that HCSC only operates in 5 states: Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
How to File a Claim with Kaiser Permanente and HCSC 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).
HCSC
To submit electronic claims, you or your billing agent need to use a third-party claims clearinghouse vendor, like Availity. For paper claims, you need to complete the right claim forms.
Common Questions About HCSC and Kaiser Permanente Insurance
Kaiser Permanente
How much is Kaiser Insurance?
In 2018, the average premium for single coverage was $575 per month or $6,896 per year. For a family, the average was $1,635 per month or $19,616 per year.
How to change Kaiser health insurance plans:
If you want to change an HMO plan to a PPO plan or vice versa, you’ll have to wait for the open enrollment period before the new year to make changes to your health plan, unless you have a qualifying event, which would enable you to make changes to your plan at any time during the year as long as it is within a reasonable time after a qualifying event.
Is it better to go with PPO or HMO with Kaiser?
Whether a PPO or HMO will serve you better depends on your needs and lifestyle. An HMO is a more economical choice than PPOs. However, to reap the financial benefit, you can only see in-network providers and may need to choose a primary care doctor to manage your health care and refer you to specialists within the network.
How to get a Kaiser Permanente health insurance quote:
You can compare health insurance quotes here.
Check out our full list of common questions about Kaiser Permanente.
HCSC
Is HCSC a good health insurance company?
HCSC is one of the oldest health insurance companies. They invented the prepaid hospital care plan. Today, they are one of the largest companies. They have a relatively low complaint ratio, which means that members are probably satisfied with claims processes and service.
Is HCSC and Blue Cross Blue Shield the same?
BCBS stands for Blue Cross Blue Shield, which is a federation of 36 separate health insurance companies. It was formed in 1982. Blue Cross (hospital services) and Blue Shield (physician services) operated separately until 1975, when they became one as Health Care Service (HCSC) Corporation. HCSC is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
What are some HCSC subsidiaries?
Dearborn Group, Dental Network of America, Inc (DNoA), Medecision, Inc., Availity, LLC, Prime Therapeutics, LLC and TriWest Healthcare Alliance.
Is HCSC a publicly-traded company?
HCSC is a mutual insurance company, which means that it is customer-owned.
Check out our full list of common questions about HCSC.
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Kaiser Permanente and HCSC Insurance Contact Info
| Kaiser Permanente Contact Info | |
|---|---|
| Address | 1 Kaiser Plaza, Oakland, CA 94612 |
| Phone | 1 (510) 271-5910 |
| Website | https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/ |
| https://www.facebook.com/kpthrive/ | |
| Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqZdtT_o6xZbMkRbLZJ7Zvg |
| https://twitter.com/aboutKP | |
| https://www.linkedin.com/company/kaiser-permanente/ | |
| HCSC Contact Info | |
|---|---|
| Address | 300 E. Randolph St. Chicago, IL 60601 |
| Phone | 1 (800) 654-7385 |
| Website | https://www.hcsc.com/ |
| https://www.facebook.com/healthcareservicecorporation/ | |
| Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/user/HealthCareService |
| https://twitter.com/HCSC | |
| https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-cross-and-blue-shield-of-illinois-new-mexico-oklahoma-&-texas/life/4548c167-e254-4ffd-a356-7892967212c3/ | |
Fran Majidi manages content on SmartFinancial's website. She's had nearly a decade's worth of experience writing about insurance-related topics. Prior, she was an arts and entertainment editor in New York City. She has a B.A. from Barnard College and an M.F.A. in writing from The New School. She writes books under her given name, Afarin Majidi.
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