What is Kyla? Kyla is a primary care application that is backed by Action Health, a primary/urgent care organization that operates over 20 medical centers throughout California. When COVID-19 began to spread, the Kyla team enhanced the application to help employees stay safe in the workplace.
How will Kyla help keep my workplace safe? Kyla will educate employees on COVID-19. Each day before work, Kyla will ask you how you are feeling and what your body temperature is. If you are not feeling well, Kyla will help you get tested for COVID-19. If you are feeling nice and healthy, Kyla will still help you get a COVID-19 test each week.
How much will Kyla cost me? As an employee, the Kyla app is free to use. Kyla will bill insurance or HRSA for the uninsured. You will not have any cost share for COVID-19 testing.
Will I be charged for just using the app? Kyla does not bill you or your insurance for simply using the app. If you end up loving Kyla so much that you want to use the app as your primary care provider, you may be charged for services unrelated to COVID. Don’t worry, you’ll always be made aware before a billable visit occurs.
What if I don’t have Insurance? Kyla bills HRSA for the uninsured.
What’s with the weekly testing? Studies estimate up to 50% of COVID-19 patients do not develop symptoms but are still contagious. These are referred to as “asymptomatic patients”. Asking everyone how they feel before going to work can be helpful, but it does not go far enough to catch asymptomatic patients. It is our mission to keep you and your coworkers as safe as possible.
How soon will I get my test results? On average it takes 24-48 hours for test results to come back. Kyla primarily uses their own labs so results take a fraction of the national average.
Does COVID-19 testing hurt? Kyla offers nasal swabs which are less invasive than nasopharyngeal swabs, and are generally painless.
What medical information is shared with my employer? Employers will only see a limited amount of medical information. They will see if you currently have signs/ symptoms of COVID-19 but they will not see the exact symptoms. They will also see if you were potentially exposed to COVID-19 through contact tracing. Any other medical information provided to Kyla will remain Protected Health Information and cannot be released to your employer.
What other information will be shared with my employer? Employers can see that you’ve registered the application, completed COVID-19 related education cards, and if you have input symptoms for the day. They cannot see your actual symptoms.
What is contact tracing? Contact tracing is a series of questions initiated by a positive test result within your company. These questions will ask you who you worked with, and you are never penalized for your answers.
Do you track my smartphone? No, even when contact tracing Kyla does not track your devices.
How long do I have to get set up? We will start tracking your symptoms within 24 hours of you creating an account. It is important to register as soon as possible to get set up and start your education cards!
What about data security? Are you buying or selling my medical information? Never. Kyla is HIPAA compliant and your medical information is private. While there may be advertising or marketing materials within the app, Kyla does not sell your information.
Why do you need Marketing authorization and what does that mean? We have the Authorization for Marketing in there simply because the app provides medical services, but also contains some cards with links in them that could be considered "marketing materials" under HIPAA. An example of this would be cards that contain links to sleep products, like eye masks. This in no way means that we are selling patient information to the eye mask company. Patient information remains safe and secure. The exact verbiage in the agreement is: Health Care Providers, nor their Business Associates, including Lifetime, sell your Protected Health Information to third parties. This agreement is simply saying that some marketing materials exist within the app, and Kyla could be compensated for that material. In other words, marketing materials might be going into the app, but your health info is not going out! For some regulatory context, the word "marketing" is broad when describing health services. Something like the following example would require the authorization of marketing: A communication from a hospital informing former patients about a cardiac facility, that is not part of the hospital, that can provide a baseline EKG for $39 when the communication is not for the purpose of providing treatment advice. The HIPAA guidelines are so broad that our legal counsel even used the example of a push notification encouraging the use of the app could be construed as "marketing".
What happens if I have symptoms? If you are experiencing symptoms that are indicative of COVID, you can connect with a doctor right in the app. The doctor will either clear you for work or refer you for COVID testing. If the doctor sends you for COVID testing, you need to take a picture of your diagnostic COVID test result and upload it into Kyla chat so you can get cleared for work. You do not have to see our doctors, you can always go see your own doctor and upload a picture of the doctor’s note clearing you for work. Make sure to reach out to your supervisor at work to check-in. Kyla will also send them a notification.
What happens if I am named in contact tracing? If you receive a message that you have been named in contact tracing, that means that there is a possibility that you are infected. You should self isolate right away and get an diagnostic COVID test within 24 hours. Make sure to reach out to your supervisor at work to check-in. Kyla will also send them a notification.
Make sure to read the FAQ as your questions are frequently answered here. If you have questions about Kyla, please contact support@kyla.com.