Heard that Kaiser is being dropped next year as an option. Anyone know anything about this? Is it true? Who does this affect? Retirees, Active employees, managers?
5 replies (most recent on top)
"Kaiser is the worst healthcare. Restricted to their offices and facilities, wait all day to see a rent-a-doc. Why anyone would choose Kaiser is beyond me."
Not true. I have been with Northern California Kaiser for now 35 years. In the earlier years, it was the case that getting through the call center used to be a bit of a challenge. I recall once or twice I had to work hard to get their attention. However, during last 2 decades, they have improved tremendously. It is true that their waiting areas do not have Picasso art or plush seating arrangement or perfumed receptionists. It is pure medical setting, no 5* hotel lobby.
During these 35 years we have been through a child birth, broken foot, dementia care and hospice (for my parents), 3-4 non-trivial surgeries (hystrectomy, stents), several ER visits, etc. The care we recieved was state of the art, caring, but no fuss and no nonsense. You do get to choose your own primary care doctor and they are responsive to your needs.
Why do I choose to stay with them - even though the plan was more expensive in last couple of years? Pure convenienece under one roof. I can go into ER, transfer to hospital, pick up crutches, get meds, do MRI and other tests, wound care dressing -- all at one location, no invoices or forms to fill, no reimbursement paper work - it is simply one stop service. I used to have other kind of plans and we would drive around the town to get x-ray done, then get dressing, then get crutches, then get meds, and then fill all the forms.
The 3 simplified medical choices besides HMO's that some can get are really just the old bronze plan and two new HMOs...one with a high deductible and one with a low. Pretty soon they'll force everyone into "doctors who are so bad they'll take anything to get patients" plans.
The wife worked for Kaiser and never took it. That bad. They gave a little money back for NOT taking it.
Not true. I recall they said for the first time there is a 2nd Kaizer option. I cannot recall the difference between the two, it was mentioned briefly on the call I attended
Kaiser is the worst healthcare. Restricted to their offices and facilities, wait all day to see a rent-a-doc. Why anyone would choose Kaiser is beyond me.