ShopKP: Kaiser Permanente opens Affordable Care Act stores; one in SJ

                There aren’t any cash registers or racks of clothing and shelves of merchandise, but the new ShopKP store at San Jose’s The Plant shopping center is offering something even better:  health coverage. The bright, airy shop, just across from the grassy Town Plaza on Curtner Road has been open for a few weeks, and it’s the first time ever that Kaiser Permanente’s Health Plan and Hospital system has operated retail stores offering access to its high-quality care.

                “We want to be where the people are, where they eat and shop, “says Irene H Chavez, Senior Vice President and Area Manager of the Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center, a short distance away.  “We know that people have a lot of questions about The Affordable Care Act and Kaiser Permanente wants to make it easy and convenient to get the answers.”

                Chavez paid a visit to the ShopKP store at The Plant in San Jose, one of six retail locations in Northern California.  The Plant is a shopping complex on the site of a historic General Electric plant in San Jose, and includes several large anchor stores including Home Depot, and dozens of shops and restaurants. Kaiser Permanente’s “ShopKP” store is just across from Guy Fieri’s “Johnny Garlic’s” restaurant.

                “I bet it gets busy here in the late afternoon,” remarked Chavez.

                “Shop KP” is open until 7pm, 7 days a week, and is staffed with a team of licensed, certified associates who can help guide customers through The Affordable Care Act, and how to choose a health plan through Covered California, the state’s new health-insurance exchange.

                “I understand that the question most often asked of the associates here is whether someone qualifies for a federal subsidy to help pay for the insurance,” said Chavez. “Then people ask about Kaiser Permanente, and of course, we’re more than happy to talk about Kaiser Permanente’s excellent health care.”

                The ShopKP store features a large central table, with iPads mounted on viewing stands. Each iPad has an interactive program that guides visitors through the features of Kaiser Permanente and the costs for the Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum insurance plans.

                “The program talks about our great physicians, and our integrated health-care system where all of your clinical providers are ‘on the same page’ because Kaiser Permanente’s robust electronic medical record follows you wherever you go, from the doctor’s office to the specialist to the hospital and to your home,” says Chavez.

                There is a private area in the back of the ShopKP site where the associates can discuss a potential member’s specific health-care needs and sign them up for coverage.   Even though ShopKP at The Plant has been open for a few weeks, there are more decorative elements to be installed at the site.

                “We’re going to have some really beautiful Thrive posters up on the walls before long,” said Chavez.