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Board adopts Kaiser KPSA post‑discharge meal rider and expands transportation; approves multi‑region retiree rates
Summary
The board approved Kaiser’s 2021 KPSA renewals including a post‑discharge meal rider (up to 84 meals) and a wheelchair/gurney transportation enhancement; the with‑meals scenario results in an overall ~5% reduction vs 2020 while adding $1.75 PMPM for meals and raising the transport rider to $3.87 PMPM to support wheelchair/gurney transport.
The Health Service System accepted Kaiser Permanente’s recommendations for the Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage (KPSA) 2021 retiree rate cards, approving the ‘with post‑discharge meal delivery’ scenario that results in an overall ~5% reduction versus 2020 while incorporating three program riders.
Kaiser representatives described three riders: Silver & Fit fitness programming ($2.80 PMPM, roughly $452,000), an enhanced transportation rider that would add wheelchair and gurney transport (proposed $3.87 PMPM, an increase to fund specialized vehicles), and a new post‑discharge meal delivery benefit (up to 84 meals after inpatient hospitalization) priced at $1.75 PMPM (~$283,000 total). Kaiser said the meal pricing assumes about 3% utilization of total members for post‑discharge meal deliveries based on vendor experience; UHC’s year‑to‑date utilization shown earlier in the meeting was higher in absolute meals delivered but the populations differ.
Commissioners probed utilization, meal quality, per‑meal cost and whether meals are prescribed as part of discharge planning. Kaiser and UHC said clinicians/case‑managers are involved in referrals and both vendors committed to follow‑up on utilization, meal quality and vendor pricing. The board approved the recommendation and asked staff to monitor utilization and report back periodically.
Separately, the board approved Kaiser multi‑region (Washington, Northwest, Hawaii) retiree rate cards; Aon noted small populations in those regions are manually rated and thus rates can vary by demographics and underwriting adjustments.
The board approved both KPSA and Kaiser multi‑region packages unanimously and directed staff to return with utilization reports for the new riders.
