WATSONVILLE — After opening three offices in Santa Cruz County in 2017, Kaiser Permanente announced Monday that it will offer Medicare coverage in 2019.
Enrollment for Kaiser’s Medicare Advantage plan will start Oct. 15, with coverage beginning Jan. 1.
“We are pleased to offer Santa Cruz County residents our top-rated Medicare Advantage health plan,” said Irene Chavez, Kaiser Permanente senior vice president and area manager. “Part of Kaiser Permanente’s mission is to improve the health of the communities we serve, and we are excited to be offering our integrated model of care to seniors in this community.”
To be eligible for coverage, applicants must be 65 years or older or disabled, reside in Santa Cruz County, and be enrolled in Medicare parts A and B. For those enrolling in Kaiser Permanente Medicare health plans after Dec. 31, coverage will begin the first of the month following receipt of enrollment.
All three Kaiser medical offices in the county provide primary care, and the Watsonville and Scotts Valley facilities feature specialty care services. In addition, all three facilities offer technology that facilitates telemedicine visits and the Watsonville and Scotts Valley offices provide laboratory, pharmacy and radiology services. Local hospital services and inpatient care are provided by Watsonville Community Hospital as well as at nearby Kaiser Permanente medical centers in Santa Clara and San Jose.
“We know our Medicare eligible members and residents in Santa Cruz County have been eager to start enrolling in the Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage plan and we are making it easy for them to sign up,” said Efren Rosas, MD, Kaiser Permanente’s physician-in-chief for the county. “We first started providing care here in 2017 and we are so happy to now offer care to the Santa Cruz County senior community.”
Kaiser is scheduling several community meetings to share information about its new Santa Cruz County Medicare health plan. Visit tinyurl.com/y7b3s6aq for a complete list of locations and times.
There are also a variety of other ways to learn more about Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage enrollment, including:
• Enroll online: Visit www.kp.org/medicare
• Speak with a Medicare specialist: Call (866) 973-4588 (TTY 711), 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.
• Attend an in-person informational session: Register at www.kp.org/medicare or by calling (866) 973-4588 (TTY 711), 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.
