Kaiser: Thrive

[Dennis H]

Jesus Chrysler.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bernard-tyson-ceo-kaiser-permanente-214711373.html

CEO dies in sleep after AfroTech speech in Oakland.

 

[Darius]

RIP. kaiser has been nothing but outstanding in ALL of my experiences in the 37 years I have been a member. The idiots in DC are missing the answer to a better national health care program by not looking at Kaiser's model as an example of how one could work.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

RIP. kaiser has been nothing but outstanding in ALL of my experiences in the 37 years I have been a member. The idiots in DC are missing the answer to a better national health care program by not looking at Kaiser's model as an example of how one could work.

I know allot of people who are very happy with Kaiser.... And a few who have more serious health issues that hate Kaiser...

 

[Darius]

My wife is going through breast cancer right now. It was caught early and they got it all with no spread detected. Kaiser has been absolutely outstanding throughout this entire ordeal. Lots of calls FROM kaiser to check up on her and deliver information. My experience is that they have a system. If you learn how their system works you can use it to YOUR best advantage. What I like about it over what I hear from other HMO's is that Kaiser is all under one roof so to speak. For most issues that is actually the case, however, there are a few specialties that have different locations, like the cancer/radiation facilities and such but I don't have to go 3 places for a Dr appt, X-ray,and lab work.

 

[steve from staten island]

RIP and condolences
I have family covered by Kaiser, from their dealings all I will say is its no G.H.I. or even Medicare for that matter.

I know allot of people who are very happy with Kaiser.... And a few who have more serious health issues that hate Kaiser...[/QUOTE
Exactly

 

[Budnicks]

I had Kaiser Permanente "insurance" for a while
it was marginally good
& if not for the constant $5 charge, here & there
(well used to be, probably $10 per today)
for every dept. you visit, Rx's etc.,
even in the same day, same visits
nickel & dime you to death
not sure if they still do that
I hated that aspect, was like a processing plant for sick people

I felt it was/is the TacoBell of hospitals
"insurance" backed healthcare funded by members
most of their dr.'s/interns (In my experience) stay only until they get a better gig
it's all about the #'s, move them in & out, over selling/over booking

I have a couple stories I could tell, about malpractice
but won't do it on a public access forum

 

[steve from staten island]

Any health insurance provider that limits the doctors you see, to only the ones they employee, sucks, for lack of a better word. Any health insurance provider who when you need a doctor and see a different one every time you go in for a appointment also sucks and not for the lack of a better word
Not a fan of any HMO.....

 

[GetX'd]

I agree that Kaiser is a good model of convenience . Unfortunately I don’t think that works many of the times when you have something tougher to deal with. I had Them when I first moved to CA. I was young and they were the least expensive Program. Everyone told me - don’t have them when anything serious goes wrong. Well I had something serious go wrong. They were very convenient but the diagnosis and actual care was horrible. I couldn’t get out fast enough. I have a many years close friend that is a doctor for Kaiser. Even she tells me they are very bad as far a doctors competency and actual care. I wouldn’t go back to Kaiser unless it was free. Even then not sure I would.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

My friends daughter was in a very serious car crash, while she was recovering at Santa Clara Medical Center, She & her neighbors all had TBI's the neighbors in rooms to either side of her had Blue Cross... Everything they needed was covered without question.... K/P wouldn't cover any of it... Both those neighbors after recovering to a point of stability were sent to a center that specializes in TBI rehabilitation... The doctors said the sooner you get rehab the better the outcome.... K/P wouldn't cover it at all... If it's not under their roof they don't cover it... But her injuries were severe enough that they didn't have the facilities to deal with her...

She still has K/P & she still needs services they don't offer... I've tried to get her parents to change her insurance provider but they are understandably concerned the new company won't cover pre-existing stuff... I've told them The ACA made it illegal for health insurance companies to deny you medical coverage or raise rates due to a pre-existing condition. But they are convinced it's gonna change just about the time they get halfway through the process.... I gotta admit I see their point... K/P is certainly better than no coverage...

 

[MW 413]

Doctors call it Ghetto Insurance. Our company switched to it to save money and it was a disaster when you got sick. Closest KP center was 45 miles away. No local Docs accepted it.

 

[Darius]

Having looked into Kaiser as a business owner considering health plans, I can tell you Kaiser has many DIFFERENT plans. I imagine most HMO's have variable plans based on your membership. I am fortunate my wife worked for the State and her coverage is top level. I pay $5-10 co-pay for office visits, drugs etc. If my lab or other dept visit is in conjunction with an office visit I very seldom pay anything past the initial co-pay of $5-10. No drug has ever cost me more than $5. When I had my heart attack the EMT said Kaiser has an agreement with (in Sacramento) Sutter Health since they have a close to me facility that can best deal with heart attacks. All these less than positive comments must be from different plans and from locations where Kaiser does not yet have the proper facilities.

 

[GetX'd]

Kaiser has huge facilities here. None bigger that Kaiser Sunset. It’s not the cost - it’s the care we’ve seen or gotten. Not to rain on your parade tho. Because I would be happy with them too if they cured my wife’s cancer.

 

[steve from staten island]

If faced with no health insurance or Kaiser, then of course Kaiser would be great. Other than that its a typical HMO. If you notice kaiser tells you upfront if for example the diagnosis is cancer, your free to seek outside second opinions but they might not cover the cost of that.
Think about that and the possible differences it can make.

 

[steve from staten island]

Kaiser has huge facilities here. None bigger that Kaiser Sunset. It’s not the cost - it’s the care we’ve seen or gotten. Not to rain on your parade tho. Because I would be happy with them too if they cured my wife’s cancer.

My wife would not be alive if we didn't go to Memorial Sloan Kettering. She has a rare cancer and was given a new type of chemo, unavailable anywhere else. Her treatment, was beyond top notch. Her health insurance and now Medicare covers it. Kaiser cannot compete with that and as far as I can tell are unwilling.
My question is if a child gets a serious life threatening illness could a parent have their child seen at any of the nations top children hospitals and Kaiser cover the costs?

 

[Ghostrider 67]

Stories like this make me glad I spent half of my life in the Army.