Thursday, August 9, 2007

KAISER PERMANENTE THE DEATH MACHINE


MY SUMMER REPORT ON KAISER PERMANENTE.

Beware Kaiser patients in the greater Portland, Oregon area!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know about other areas of the United States but out West Kaiser the HMO rules the HMO scene and they've got your money and that's all they care about.

This sick person that I know and love became ill while in California and was hospitalized in Vallejo, California at Kaiser. She got good care there it seems.

BUT THEN ~~~ upon returning home to the Pacific Northwest (after a 12 day hospital stay in Vallejo) ~ it's the same old stuff. She needs a cardiologist's care but is being denied that in a most polite and maddening way. She is still very sick and Kaiser is giving her the run around. Her primary care dr. must refer her, oh, no, her primary care dr. is on vacation for 2 weeks. Can she see another primary care dr.? The rigamarole to change dr.'s will take X amount of time. Here, take some pills.

Kaiser's deceptive television ads are beautiful, healthy people; running, playing ball, swinging on swings, swimming....their motto is: "Thrive".

Oh, please.

This is not my first complaint about the care she has received from Kaiser in the Portland, Oregon area. X-rays mysteriously dissappear and never again surface after major surgeries, that kind of thing.

The computers between Vallejo, California and Portland, Oregon are not compatible; they could not access her medical records and in turn, they could not forward her medical information concerning the care she received while in California to anyone in the Northwest!

I wonder about health care advocates for Kaiser patients, with dread I feel another manifesto coming on; or do I?

6 comments:

Bee said...

Can you report them to the board of Insurance? I'm in Illinois so I'm not exactly sure what the laws are in your neck of the woods but it seems the goverment might be able to intervene.

We had a patient visiting from California who had Kaiser and it did take a while to straighten out their insurance.

sheilabythebeach said...

I don't know the answer to that. I do know that I would have to start really digging into her personal health issues and personal choices though and I can't do that. She has enough stress in her life. It is something to consider though if I should move ahead with any action, thank you, Bee!

rauf said...

A law suit will wake them up. Hope your friend is doing fine

sheilabythebeach said...

Can I sue on her behalf I wonder??? That would be interesting!
Thanks for the good wishes.

knitting2relax said...

Kaiser = ick!
I got out of their care when I could and hope I never have to go back.

Shammickite said...

Thank goodness I live in Canada.... but we have the same sort of screw-ups between provinces. Luckily for me, I've never had a problem.... YET!