Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage Basic Kern (HMO)

Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage Basic Kern (HMO) is a HMO plan offered by Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. available for enrollment in 2025 to people living in Kern County Plan - Basic. This plan received an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars in 2026.

It's important to know that Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage Basic Kern (HMO) is a Medicare Advantage (MA) Plan with drug coverage. That means that this plan covers both medical services and prescription drugs.

Key Plan Facts

Below are a few key facts and commonly-asked questions about Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage Basic Kern (HMO).

Plan Costs:

The cost of a Medicare Advantage Plan is made up of four main parts.

• First, the monthly premium — the amount you pay every month.
• Second, the deductible — the amount you pay out of pocket for covered services before the plan starts paying.
• Third, the copayments and coinsurance — the amounts you pay out of pocket for covered services, usually after meeting the deductible (if applicable). Copays are fixed dollar amounts; coinsurance is a percentage of the cost.
• Fourth, the Out-of-Pocket Maximum — the maximum amount you could have to pay out of pocket in a year. This may be different for in-network and out-of-network services.

You can see below for the coinsurance and specific copayments for in the Additional Benefits section below, or refer to our Plan Details page for more details.

Common Services:

Drug Coverage

The Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage Basic Kern (HMO) plan offers an Enhanced Alternative drug benefit with no prescription drug deductible. During the initial coverage phase, which lasts until total drug costs reach $2,100, you will pay no copay for Tier 1 preferred generic drugs and Tier 5 specialty drugs at standard pharmacies. For other drug tiers, standard pharmacy and mail-order costs include a $45 copay for Tier 2 standard generics, a $95 copay for Tier 3 preferred brands, and a 33% coinsurance for Tier 4 non-preferred drugs. Once your yearly out-of-pocket drug costs reach $2,100, you enter the catastrophic coverage phase and pay nothing for covered Medicare Part D drugs. Additionally, if you qualify for the low-income subsidy or Extra Help, your Part D premium can be reduced to zero. This plan provides straightforward cost-sharing to help you manage your prescription medication expenses throughout the year.

Additional Benefits

The Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage Basic Kern (HMO) plan offers robust coverage with no copays or coinsurance for many essential services, including inpatient hospital stays, primary and specialist doctor visits, and preventive care. Outpatient services, diagnostic lab tests, and urgent care also feature no copays, while emergency room visits and ambulance services require a flat $150 copay. This plan helps keep healthcare affordable by eliminating out-of-pocket costs for the majority of routine medical consultations and hospital treatments. For specialized care, the plan provides home health services with no copay, and skilled nursing facility stays are covered with no copay for the first 20 days. Medicare Part B insulin is available with a low copay of $10 to $35, while durable medical equipment and dialysis services generally require a 20% coinsurance with no copay. Additionally, members can benefit from a quarterly $75 over-the-counter item allowance and acupuncture services with no copays or coinsurance.