Does anyone know why Kaiser Permanente is so horrible?

Answer 1

I think a better question would be:

Does anyone know why the quality of health care provided to the majority of the population in the USA is so drastically inferior to the quality of health care resources and technology available in the USA?

I mean, ***that*** is what makes the foundation of your question.

...but directly addressing your question in a concrete fashion, Kaiser provides good health care options in some places, absolutely dreadful in others.

The last time I had Kaiser through an employer, they (Kaiser) had begun offering the option of choosing health care providers associated with a couple of health care centers, however, you could not choose to go to both, or all three--you committed to the Kaiser approved providers at one institution or the other. This was superior to the services offered the first time I had Kaiser, which allowed me only to choose Kaiser providers with offices on-site at Kaiser offices, and those providers would refer out when they deemed it necessary. I still have an ugly scar on my arm that looks like an old small pox vaccination, only worse, from an in-house punch biopsy that they would not refer out.

What Kaiser offers in terms of options largely depends on the resources available geographically. Health care in the US is especially a commercial business operation above any public health service, so when you are in an area where there's not booming health care opportunities (i.e. $$$$$$$ for the health care providers), it will be worse.

Check your Kaiser contract carefully to see if you have the option to choose care through a local institution (i.e. hospital) instead of the Kaiser offices, directly. If your local, previously established institution(s) is (are) an option, and you know the quality of care is better, ditch the Kaiser providers and get a good doctor at the other place.

To truly answer your question, however, you need to refer back to answers you will find to the question I proposed above...

Good luck. Health care provision in the US for the large majority of its citizens is an embarrassment.

Answer 2

It is not bad! It is the worst. I need a CPAP mask and I get it every
6 months. This December I tried to order it and the doctor ordered the wrong mask. I filed a complaint and due to their procedures it is taking for ever. The kaiser sleep center wrote the CPAP mask prescription with the instructions to never sleep without the mask fora the serious risks involved. I have called to customer service, my doctor, the complaint unit, the expedite service, etc. Nobody cares. Every time I call, I need to stay on the line for a minimum of 30 minutes. The kaiser representatives Like to argue and do not give a solution to your problem. This is the latest incident. This a list of incidents in the past.
I had an appointment at 8:30 and the doctor arrived at the a facilities at 9:30. I asked the nurser the reason for wait and she said that if I did not like it to go to the receptionist and get the co-pay refund and to make an appointment when I had the entire day off as they could not guarantee to be seen at the time of the scheduled appointment..
Order medications, when picking up the medication, I noticed that the bottle was properly labeled but it was empty.
Went to the emergency room and was placed in a hallway instead of a room. I had to change in the hallway next to the nurses station. One of the nurses had a visitor that followed her wherever she went in the ER. The conversations and socialization in the nurses station was loud. Through their conversations I became aware about who bought a house, who is getting a divorce! who is dating who! who goes to Teacate to get drunk on the days off, etc.

I have filed so many complaints and The answers I get are lengthy but there is no substance. Probably the responses are templates that are stored in a computer to just insert a name.

Kaiser is a perfect example of what a health care facility should not be. Not to mention that many of their doctors are not trained in the US and who knows what type of training they get. I have nothing against minorities and foreign accents. But having an accent and not speaking English are different. In Kaiser, I have come across employes that have difficulty producing simple sentences in English.
If you have the means, stay away from Kaiser. But if you are a failure and need a job where you can make mistakes, mistreat people, etc., apply at Kiser as that description fits many of the employees that I have come across in Kaiser.

Answer 3

Because KAISER has poor management skills and the managers treat the employees like ****!!!! AND I heard if they file a claim that Kaiser will quickly create lies on the employee to have them terminated what a horrible company only thing is the turnaround for appts V's other hospitals

Answer 4

I had to switch to Kaiser due to insurance changes. I had been happily working with a naturopath on my autoimmune thyroid problem, high cholesterol and elevated liver enzymes. I was getting good results with her care and I did not want to take other meds to control the cholesterol although I did take a natural form of thyroid she ordered . My numbers were improving with diet changes and supplements. She was allowed to be my primary care provider while on Medicaide and could order any test I needed. Just like an allopathic MD. However, when I had to buy a health plan I did my research because I wanted to keep my naturopath. Kaiser told me that I would be able to see my naturopath who was contracted with Kaiser but that I would have to see one of the primary care providers (a PA) to get a referral. They did not tell me I could only get a referral for a very short list of diseases. So, I went to see the Kaiser PA to establish care and get a referral but was told Kaiser will only refer to a naturopath only if you have one of five conditions. I had none of those conditions sadly even though I have a serious autoimmune problem and my naturopath had been helping. It was my ND that taught me to get off gluten as it is a major contributor to HASHIMOTOS thyroid, it was my ND that gave me herbs to detox my liver which brought down my blood cholesterol, it was my ND who told me my thyroid needed selenium, it was my ND who told me about Vit D....so many things my ND taught me that no MD had ever mentioned in the many years I had been seeking treatment. Kaiser would not even order a certain thyroid test my ND suggested even when I said I would private pay. I was so upset because I asked all the right questions before I bought the plan but nobody told me about the restricted conditions to see an ND for. I have a high deductible plan of 4500 and all I wanted is for my naturopath visits to contribute to my deductible. I think that is reasonable! The office manager at Kaiser did give me my copay back because I was so upset that I bought a plan that did not give me all the details when I had asked prior to purchasing. I am writing a formal complaint to Kaiser but I am sure nothing will change. This is not healthcare, it is death care! Natuopaths are the best preventative care doctors around, they know medicine and practice evidence based medicine! They are not quack! They look to cure the problem and not mask it like drugs! I am so sick of this corrupt illness promoting system. They really make it hard for any alternative care.

Answer 5

It appears that the experience of the patient depends much on the nature of the disease or injury experienced. Of the people in my life these are some of what I've seen:

--Those with heart issues, for example, receive "royal treatment".
--Those with rare genetic disorders may be passed-off as untreatable or hypochondriacs.
--Injuries get referred to physical therapists.
--Mental health patients can be cut down to 2 medication visits per year - and seen in a group of patients rather than as an individual.
--Immediate urgent or emergency health crisis has been met with prompt emergency care, sometimes even in-office.
--These days Dr. - patient communication is just as likely to take place on the phone or e-mail as it is face to face in the office. (but then there's no co-pay for e-mail or phone)
--Chances of being treated by a Physicians Assistant are just about as likely as seeing the MD.
--As they have no Podiatrist on staff, foot problems are treated by an Orthopedic Surgeon -- sometimes
--Medication is a real deal at Kaiser, compared to other insurances
--There is no skimping on x-rays, done in the same office, promptly with almost no waiting, then back to the Dr in a matter of minutes
--For more major testing proceedures there has been telephone follow-up, sometimes by more than one person.
--I am ever grateful for the neonatal ICU at Kaiser Permenente.

As you can see, just like everywhere else, people's experience varies.....just like their health issues vary. I found that the negative reputation I'd previously heard of has NOT been the experience we have had since changing to Kaiser.

Answer 6

In health care no matter the provider, you have to be your own advocate. This is advice from a breast cancer survivor.

Answer 7

no one likes them because they believe in curing the natural way. my friend purposely broke his finger in hope to get vicodin...he got 600 milligram ibuprofen. they dont believe in decongestants that much either...only in sevre cases. they think the more you use those kind of medications, the more you need them. oh, and they are not home feeling at all. they're very basic and dont spend money on making it look fancy and home-like, they spend all their money on VERY high tech equiptment.

Answer 8

their cutting cost left and right. customer is the one that suffer.

Answer 9

They're not bad.
Well, not where I live at least.

Answer 10

cheap product