[In early September we posted a letter written by Kaiser victim Jupirena Stein, that had been previously mailed to Kaiser CEO George Halvorson. Ms. Stein's health has literally been ruined by a botched surgery at Kaiser, and over a six year period she has collected extensive documentation supporting her claims. Halvorson's response? Zip. Zero. Zilch. Nada. The man's organization has practically ruined this poor woman's life and he couldn't even be bothered to reply. Instead, she had to call him.
Rather than a return call from the man himself, Mr. Halvorson saw fit to have his senior attorney, Mary Parks, call Ms. Stein back, and all Ms. Parks would say in response to Ms. Stein's heartfelt letter was that "Kaiser has no knowledge of any wrongdoing." Of course they don't; they never do. Except in this case it was an even more obvious lie than usual, because Ms. Stein has certainly informed Kaiser, on more than one occasion, of copious amounts of wrongdoing.
Mr. Halvorson has been sending out weekly email updates to all of his employees, and whenever the opportunity presents itself he makes a point of saying something similar to this quote from his 5-year anniversary post: "As an organization of caregivers, we all feel collective pain any time we mis-deliver care." Every chance he gets, he also likes to repeat that he sympathizes with people who have been harmed when a mistake has been made. But actions speak louder than words, and the reality of how Kaiser treats everyone who complains certainly doesn't include the kind of sympathy that involves willingly making restitution to anyone whose life has been destroyed by Kaiser; or even acknowledging any wrongdoing, as Attorney Parks made perfectly clear. We haven't been able to find one single Kaiser member who has been treated like a human being in a dispute with this "sympathetic" organization, and believe me, we have been actively trying.
Below is Ms. Stein's latest write-up, which describes in detail the hell Kaiser put her through while trying to get her issues addressed. If you think it can't happen to you, think again. You also might want to think twice before choosing to renew your Kaiser membership now that open enrollment time is approaching, or risk finding yourself among the future ranks of the harmed and ignored.]
The first year after my surgery
Please Keep in mind that I have all proper documentation to support my words. I believe (my opinion,) that KP’s doctors are treating patients to an extreme level of lacking medical knowledge, with disrespect, intolerance, and indignity.
Here’s why:
ABOVE ALL DO NO HARM
For centuries those words from the Hippocratic Oath have guided physicians in the care and treatment of their patients. This Oath became the nucleus of all medical ethics. In its most compelling portions, it emphasizes the profundity of the medical covenant, patient dignity, the confidentiality of the transaction, and the physicians responsibility to guard against abuse or corruption of his knowledge and his/her art.
American Medical Association (AMA) Principal of Medical Ethics — Rule number 1:
A physician shall be dedicated to providing competent medical care, with compassion and respect for human dignity and rights.
What I am about to write is so absurd it is hard to believe it, but this is all true.
I did not see Dr. Wolgat, Kaiser’s ENT/Professor in charge of my surgery before my surgery — at all. I did not see him during my surgery because I was obviously under general anesthetic. I have no idea if he was there or not. He said he was. He did not come to see me after I woke up, nor for those 2 days that I stayed in the hospital.
The first thing I can remember after I woke up, was that I had the most devastating type of headache one can imagine, and Dr. Timoth Wild asking me to smile. “Smile. Smile. I need you to smile for me.” Later on I came to understand, if I would be able to smile at that point in time, he would know his scalpel did not “hit” my facial nerve. He was certainly worried about it.
My family came to see me and so did Dr. Wild. On the second day before I went home, I saw Dr. Wild for the very last time. I asked him, “My head hurts badly, did everything go ok?”
He answered, “Yes, with the exception that at one point your blood was squirting out of your neck.” I was so impressed with his words, it reminded me of the movie M.A.S.H.
For the next 10 months I was in and out of Kaiser doctor’s office, at my request, being sent from one to another to another doctor. All of them told me that I was OK. That I was perhaps in need of psychiatric help because I could not accept the fact that I was diagnosed with cancer.
All of them lied to me about my injury. They “worked” carefully together, and all of them hid this devastating vascular injury from me and from my family.
NOTE: Ten days after my surgery Kaiser Permanente Pathology, come up with the diagnosis of a rare type of cancer (at that time) named Acinic Cell Carcinoma. It was found in my parotid gland, and involved 1 lymph node. KP cancer diagnosis is our next subject.
THE RADIOLOGISTS:
These doctors listed bellow interpreted many of my x-rays. Two of them, taken months apart, have the exact same wording. Only the dates had been changed as if there is a format for these things. None of them ever once mentioned in their reports that my sternocleiomastoid muscle was getting atrophied and my shoulder bones had fallen drastically out of place.
Dr. Deborah Anne Kass — License G40970
Dr. Daniel Edward Siedler — LN G49122
Dr. Chi-Wai Gerry Kwok — LN A50513
Dr. Richard Joseph Gabbay — LN G37772
Dr. Larry Edward Yeager — LN C39192
THE NEUROLOGIST:
Dr. Jeffrey Javerbaum — LN G33682
ON February 28th, of 2000, he did an EMG (needle electromyography) study on me to properly diagnose and answer my questions about what was happening to my sternocleiomastoid muscle (the big north/south muscle on the neck). Was it getting atrophied? My sister was with me.
His report says, “No atrophy or weakness. Clinically, I suspect that this is quite possibly a brachial neuritis” (BN is a rare syndrome of unknown etiology affecting mainly the lower motor neurons of the brachial plexus and/or individual nerves or nerve branches), and he continues, which is reported post-op (after surgery) in any location. It amazes me how much Kaiser likes to diagnose me with rare cancer and rare nerve condition.
Dr. Javerbaum — in front of me and my sister — tampered with the computer and changed the exam printout. Then he handed me a copy of this EMG results and said, “See? There is nothing wrong with you.” He recommended a shoulder sling, and that I try Tegretol (which is an anticonvulsant often prescribed as a mood stabilizer for those with bipolar disorder).
THE RHEUMATOLOGIST:
Dr. Alan David Lash — LN A35820
Dr. Lash injected cortisone into my shoulder. I still don’t know why. I insisted that he would not. At one point he said to me, “How are you ever going to know what is causing your problems? This is a process of elimination.”
When I asked him about the missing muscles on my neck and shoulder, just a few inches away from his eyes, he said to me, “I do not see whatever you see.”
THE PATHOLOGISTS:
Dr. Sudha Krishnamurth Rao — LN A54908
DR. L.T. Smyth – LN G40382
These 2 idiots diagnosed me with cancer in one lymph node THAT DOES NOT EXIST, causing me to have radiation treatment needlessly.
THE ENTs ( Ear, Nose and Throat doctor):
Dr. Harold William Korol — LN G17963
He was Kaiser Redwood City ENT Chief at that time. One would think that he, better than anyone else, would know what was causing me to getting sicker and sicker after my superficial parotidectomy surgery. I never expected him to lie to me and on top of that be so cruel. I saw him several times. He said I was fine and insisted I should go see a psychiatrist.
Dr. Robert Alexander Wolgat — LN G47484
He is the doctor that told me before my surgery that “Your gland is swollen. This gland duct often gets clogged. It almost never gets better. There is a doctor here that can remove this gland for you.”
Dr. Wolgat was the teaching ENT surgeon for KP Redwood City, California. 17 years of experience, he said. He did not supervise Dr. Wild, and I suspect he was probably not even present during my surgery. After my surgery I saw him several times. Each and every time he lied to me about my injury. He said repeatedly to me, “You will get better, just be patient. You will get better.” Over and over, for about 10 months.
THE SURGEON — he signed my surgery report:
Dr. Timothy Wilfred Wild MD, DDS — LN A61573
Was a resident at KP Redwood City, California, at the time of my surgery. It is beyond me that a dentist/doctor, specializing in ENT at KP can do such a devastating medical error. How could he have mistakenly dissected a major artery?
On his surgical report, Dr. Wild described how he “hit “my carotid artery or possibly my external jugular vein, this way: “…and then, there was a large vein sitting on top of the trunk of the nerve, I dissected it and sutured ligated it.” A large vein? Didn’t he know its name?
Mr. Bailey, my former attorney, missed this important information and ended up claiming a less important NON-EXISTING SEVERING of the spinal accessory nerve.
Today, Dr. Timothy Wilfred Wild is fully employed by KP Vallejo, Northern California, and he is the Chief ENT surgeon. Dr. Wild can be reached at (707) 651-1000 (ask for Head and Neck Department) or at the KP Vacaville Medical Center at (707)453-5000. Please call him and ask for his side to this story.
THE PHYSIATRIST (a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating problems of the musculoskeletal system, except for those physiatrists that work for Kaiser Permanente):
DR. William Lawrence Firch — LN G61851
How should I start talking about this quack? Please remember that by the time I saw Dr. Firch, my sternocleiomastoid muscle was already gone. My shoulder bones had dropped, I was having problems breathing, swallowing and my heartbeat was already out of rhythm. Dr. Firch ignored me. He had in his possession all my x-rays, MRI and CTs that showed all that I have described above.
I wish you could read his report. He says, “…she has had electro diagnostic evaluation through Dr. Javerbaum [the neurologist that did my electromyography and tampered with the computer to change its printout"] which did not demonstrate specific abnormality.”
And he continues, “…this pain she feels is all in her mind.”
He recommended that I take Valium. One would think he would be interested in CCing his report to my neurologist or my orthopedic surgeon right? No. Dr. Firch CC’d his report to my physical therapist and my gynecologist. Amazing!
Last but not least,
THE ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON:
Dr. John Bordy — LN G13812
After reviewing my x-rays he recommended that I see a chiropractor.
By the time I saw Dr. Bordy I was very sick. It became clear to me that something was dead wrong with my health and it was even more clear to me that Kaiser Permanente’s doctors were NOT going to help me with my deteriorating health. I never went back to Kaiser again.
———————
On October 6, 2000, I saw Dr. Michael Cohen, a private neurologist (outside of Kaiser.) That day, Medicare started paying for Kaiser’s mistake and to date still is. I requested, crying and begging him to tell me the truth: “What is happening to my body?” He told me that my sternocleiomastoid muscle had been atrophied to nothing and that he suspected nerve trauma.
I decided to get an attorney’s opinion of this “nerve trauma,” so I called the Blackman Law Group in Burlingame, California, at (650) 692-8124. Unbeknown to me, the corruption and fraud continued.
Mr. Blackman became very concerned that I was publicly involving his law firm’s good name with the word fraud, and in my opinion he was was not able to understand my reasons behind why I never signed Kaiser Permanente’s award check for $75,000.
As per my readings of reliable resources, literally every day thousands of patients throughout our country go under this kind of abuse from Kaiser Permanente. I know many patients personally that have a similar story to tell.
Do you know why KP gets away with this type of professional behavior? Because the DMHC and the California Medical Board allows them the privilege to.
In my opinion, either ALL Kaiser Permanente doctors that I mention here are obscenely incompetent, or they normally, openly and freely use medical corruption working together among themselves, taking their questionable medical behavior to the extreme levels of patient abuse — at all costs, hiding the devastating medical errors of their colleagues.
There are just no two ways about it.
Jupirena Stein
Kaiser Thrive Exposed would like to personally thank Dr. Geoff Galbraith - Kaiser Permanente Care Management Institute board member; and Vice President, Hawaii Permanente Medical Group, Quality Improvement Management - for inspiring us to create this website. Did we make it into the top 5?
“As an organization of caregivers, we all feel collective pain any time we mis-deliver care.”
He is half right. WE — the caregivers — do feel that pain. WE are the ones who have to deal with inadequate staffing and antiquated resources. WE are the ones who have to deal with doctors who really don’t care about their job anymore because they are so determined to make as much PROFIT as possible — not health care. WE are the ones who have to learn a new computer system every time the new (NON nurse) CEO decides they know what’s best for nurses.
And after 12 hours a day when a doctor orders the wrong dose for a patient and WE don’t catch it in time, WE — I — do feel PAIN. Not collective pain. PAIN. HORROR. That all the money is being spent on CEO bonuses and company cars and VIP perks and DOCTOR PROFIT SHARING. And since that money’s being wasted there it isn’t being spent on hiring enough nurses to catch medical errors and enough pharm techs to catch medication errors.
so please spare me the “COLLECTIVE PAIN” the “caregivers feel” speech. The CEO isn’t a caregiver. He’s a careTAKER. He can’t apologize to this poor woman who has had her life ruined. He can’t look her in the eye and say He’s sorry. Because he’s not. Because it’s his fault and he knows it.
I am very sorry for what you had to go through and what you continue to go through.
I don’t understand for the life of me how this organization can claim to be “care givers.” By the time the victims get through
sorting through the altered medical records and constantly changing “facts,” they don’t know up from down. Facts aren’t really facts if they are not actual facts, am I right? This rewriting of history is even more dangerous than what the condition would have been without having any care at all! What is the point of seeking care if the motive by the caregivers is to cover their *ss, and let’s not forget, make a profit? Where is the value in that for the patient? There is NO value in a system
like that. NO VALUE. Who wants to spend money to have their life ruined?
It is unfortunate that the good nurses and caregivers, the ones who truly are good people and who truly are trying to do a good job, get caught up in such a corrupt system. The lack of staffing and resources starts from the top. EVERYONE else has to do the cleanup and pay the price. Unfortunately, the good guys at kaiser are being taught how to be bad. And that’s what corruption does. Corruption disrupts.
“But actions speak louder than words, and the reality of how Kaiser treats everyone who complains certainly doesn’t include the kind of sympathy that involves willingly making restitution to anyone whose life has been destroyed by Kaiser”
ABOVE ALL DO NO HARM. The day this becomes the motivation for kaiser will truly be a miracle right here on earth (and I say that with hope and anticipation!!!)
First though, the weeds need to be weeded out at the root.
It is the epitome of poor taste and does show lack of proper training when any corporate representative acts pompously and affects an attitude of distance from the consumer. In this case the patient-consumer.
Mr. Kaiser would never have conducted himself in such a poor manner. Mr. Kaiser was known for personally going to the people and making sure that they were doing well, and were being well cared for, especially when serious medical matters were involved.
George Halvorson is trained first as a reporter Certainly he should want to investigate what his corporation has done to Ms. Stein.
Maybe the following will help to make it clearer to Mr. Halvorson - the reporter - in case he truly has been left in the dark or has justified his actions to himself in order to retain his corporate contract.
A number of people have seen the Stein medical documents - Kaiser’s set and sets obtained independently from Medical Authorities both within the United States and other countries which tell the true story. I believe that anyone at Kaiser would be hard put to challenge the source of these documents.
The true story is that if any Kaiser doctor accidentally created this problem, then the doctor was sword fighting with his scalpel during the surgery. But if that were true with what medical authorities have since written in documents, Ms. Stein would not be alive today. That leaves only one other conclusion and that is this was not an accident. That makes it a crime.
Here are some short facts, written here by one who has a copy of the documents and does have permission to write about some of them:
1. Regarding the alleged cancer diagnosis made weeks after the surgery - the material provided by Kaiser was found by pathologists (note the plural) to have been obtained from another part of the body - far from the neck. Also pathologists have made a point of noting that the original slides provided by Kaiser and labeled as containing tissue that is part of Ms. Stein have another label underneath. That original label belongs to a man and his name is nothing similar to Stein.
2. Dr. Wild was not Board Certified during the surgery. He did obtain Board Certification after the surgery and shortly thereafter became Department Chief. Pretty good for a physician just starting out.
3. Four arteries and veins were severed at a location remote from the site of surgery. These four vessels were repaired with four different methods. These are the procedures required for Board Certification in Dr. Wild’s field which had not been satisfied until this operation. A question justifiably arises if this was an accident or a motive to satisfy certification requirements.
4. Ms. Stein probably would never have known, nor have had a major medical problem if one of those arteries had not been put back together so poorly as to have seriously reduced arterial blood flow. That is what happens when you kink a tube inside an artery and can’t straighten it out again. You can’t just pull it out either to put in a new one without making the problem worse when it’s in such a location.
Of great interest to a number of people is why in the world this physician would have used a material to stent one artery that clearly shows up on an MRI and other modern forms of imaging that was not approved for use internally in that time period but was being used internally for experimental purposes on animals. None of those animals that had this done to them lasted very long. Ms. Stein has suffered greatly.
So Mr. Halvorson, the reporter, what do you think happened? Was it a way to satisfy a physician’s board certification or was there some experiment going on? It certainly does not appear to be any accident.
Ms. Stein wants to talk to you about this. She even would be very happy to show you the proof so you would know first hand what your company is involved in.
After the way she has been treated by your employees I think that a phone call from you is the least that she deserves.
After working in both Kaiser hospital and clinic in Sacramento, Ca., starting in the mid 1980’s to 1993 it has certainly been never ending nightmare, listening to patients and employees who are patients, that kaiser now entering into decades of operation, gets worse by the day. It baffles me that this can go on in this civilized world! What happened to Ms. Stein can happen to anyone. So far Kaiser has mananged to kill off at least 7 of my family members while charging medicare for hospice, morphine and other durable goods that were of no use to them and the same went for employees who have died because of deliberate medical neglect. Many of the ‘DOCTOR’s who worked in the hospital were interns and residents. IT was a very rare time that a staff doctor would visit their own patients upon and after admittance to the hospital. Many patients waited hours upon hours in the ER because the staffing was so poor in all departments. This has been one of the ongoing parts of the problem. Whenever the hospital staff needed extra help or anything related for the patients needs, we would be told it was “not in the budget”. I guess that has been one of ways Kaiser-a-non-profit has been able to amass billions, by denying basic needs for the patients which comes in a myriad of negligent and criminal acts. When the patient like Ms. Stein dared to ask or as Kaiser would consider an automatic rebuke or challege to them, they would automatically consider the patient for pyschiatric care-an intimidation, or acts of retaliation. Make the patients non credible to deny Kasier’s deliberate malpractice. Employees unfortunately suffered the same by sending them to psyche doctors and stuffing them with meds that would make them uncredible, immobile and unable to fight for themselves. Kaiser has a method of operation or as the police call it their MO, lie to maim and kill and then always, DENY, and of course , it is all for their profit. Medicare is Kaiser’s very own “permanente” personal ATM. I call it the kaiser killing fields #1 just to milk the public taxpayers out of billions of dollars for it’s own adminstration and it’s doctors profit.
The state of California and it’s agencies like CMS-DMHC-DOI, the judical venue and it’s legislators have turned a blind eye to the horrors like Ms. Stein has had to unnessarily endure. The people who are supposed to protect the public and patients have done an abysmal job just to have a job with benefits and hopefully they don’t or won’t depend on Kaiser for their healthcare because they are not immune to the same criminal malpractice that happened to Ms. Stein and so many others. That and maybe, just maybe, STATE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE ON on Kaiser’s hit list like the rest of kaiser patients which would be to eliminate them and or their families cause these state employees would know too much about the REAL KAISER!
I profoundly applaud and greatly appreciate her humanitarian efforts and contribution to our healthcare society for Ms. Stein’ efforts to expose the real Kaiser which is nothing but a #1 lying deceitful sieve for the obvious-billions of american tax payer funded dollars that criminally amasses more and more by eliminating patients through experimentation and flat out killing and PERHAPS most of all while enduring the repercussions of Ms Stein’s Dr. Mengele type of surgery and substandard care by Kaiser, albiet the poor quality of life that Kaiser left her with, she is still alive and perservering.
I can only hope and pray that we all like Ms. Stein, live long enough to see the United States Congress and other top gov’t officals do it’s job BY GIVING deserved restitution to the patients and their families and shut the kaiser killing field DOWN!
Dina
This part freaks me out the most. Ms. Stein was obviously an unknowing GUINEA PIG who was EXPERIMENTED ON. Why is Northern California so full of medical corruption? What Halvorson is feeling is COLLECTIVE INSANITY. Lets hope he takes his Haldol daily!
>> Four arteries and veins were severed at a location remote from the site of surgery. These four vessels were repaired with four different methods. These are the procedures required for Board Certification in Dr. Wild’s field which had not been satisfied until this operation. A question justifiably arises if this was an accident or a motive to satisfy certification requirements.
Sure looks like a motive to satisfy certification requirements.
Too bad Ms. Stein didn’t agree to being used as a guinea pig FIRST.
How noble of them to jump right in and take over her body.
That’s for the information on Dr wild, I looked up his web site, WHAT A HOTTIE!!
Hey “Julie” — next time you try to impersonate a Harvard doctor, you might want to keep in mind that I can tell when it’s the same person posting comments with multiple names & email addresses, and that your location is nowhere near MGH. Your fake comments were deleted, but I left the silly one above as an example of your superior intellect. Nice try, dear.
Let me add that your gift for remote diagnosis of a patient you’ve never even met is truly remarkable. You oughta take that act on the road. (Unless of course you have met her, which just makes you a creep).
Sounds like a lot of bogus information from people who are not even doctors. See if you publish this one, I doubt it. If anything is creepy it’s this site, I read it for entertainment. Sort of like watching the Jerry Springer show! Guarantee you won’t publish this, only what fits your agenda, right? What a hypocrite you are!!
[editor's note: This lovely human being accessed from Kaiser Permanente IP address 162.119.64.113, via a Yahoo search for *Timothy Wild MD* at 12:33pm Pacific time. Dr. Wild himself doing a vanity search, perhaps? Or maybe just a co-worker who likes to impersonate Harvard doctors, that suffers from some sort of bizarre fixation on "hottie" Dr. Wild. Thanks "Pam" for another stunning example of the sociopathic lack of compassion Kaiser's health care "professionals" have for their victims. Keep up the great work...makes our job here much easier.]
Sounds like another sicko on the loose! What a CREEP. Coming from KP, let’s consider the source. A person would have to be beyond sociopathic to do the things certain kaiser folks do.
Yep I’d say, this just validates your existence Admin.
Keep up the excellent work! Our safety depends on it.
[...] leading to much unnecessary suffering and sometimes death. A few recent examples are the cases of Jupirena Stein, Craig Pozzi, and a woman with West Nile Virus, who was repeatedly told her symptoms were all in [...]
The creep is George Halvorson.
I sent him an email one time, and he actually responded. The email I sent detailed how my wife was ‘treated’ at a Kaiser facility.
His response? ‘That can’t be Kaiser.’
The sad thing is, he’s the one who is pushing for universal health care. He’s the one leading the charge. If he gets his way, we may as well all just take a cyanide pill.
Hey Ms.Stein,
I’m sorry for the way these people treated you. It is DEFINITELY against the law and DEFINITELY a criminal organization.
I can’t imagine what you went through when you found all this information out.
My prayers go out to you. I’m not like all the other people who say “we can only pray….” and they don’t anyway. I am a serious Christian and I know that my prayers get answered, so if there’s ever anything I can do for you other than pray,
please just let me know. I’m sure this website has my email address and they will let you know.
This is wrong and SOMEONE should make a stand. We need to start a RIOT against this place. I mean, your story, a story of a stillborn child because the patient wasn’t treated??? Not right. At least not according to the Constitution or Medical laws.
I hope you get the chance to read this and I hope that everyone else who reads my comment and has been a Kaiser victim will make a stand and not be afraid to RIOT outside their door.To NOT be afraid of sueing this place for all they have. You need PROOF,DOCUMENTS,(recordings would be SOOO awesome!), whatever you can get your hands on, and go to court.
This cannot go on. They’ve been in business way too long.
My deepest sympathy goes out to you,
in Him,
Hannah
Dear Ms. Stein,
Your story broke my heart. We pay our premiums in good faith. We want to trust our doctors. What happened to you is, well inconceivable. I hope and pray that you get better. I will send you good thoughts and wishes with every cell and fiber of my being. Kaiser ruined my health, as well. I have been treated and regarded as a mushroom. My story cannot compare to yours, yet. Just tonight I suffered from a serious drug interaction that was condoned by a Kaiser pharmacist. My husband is an EMT. He saved me. I have to believe that somehow Kaiser will be held accountable. Most of all, I wish you well. I wish you heal. I hope you feel better. I put this out into the universe.
Sincerely,
Glynis Tolson
I have just completed reading Ms. Stein’s story regarding her treatment at Kaiser facilities and the “qualifications” of her treating (and/or consulting) physicians. I am appalled and horrified that she had to endure what appears to be a continuing nightmare of medical treatment. That she is no longer a Kaiser enrollee speaks only to her acute sense of right vs wrong and her ability to continue to fight for her rights to be treated with dignity and respect.
I am a former Kaiser employee who wore the badge and title of “Auditing Specialist”. My qualifications for wearing this badge included the fact that I was an Registered Nurse (for over twenty years at the time of my employment with Kaiser) and a certification of CCS-P (certified coding specialist) attained through intensive studying of the codes used for diagnosis and treatment of all diseases recognized by the DSM-III manual (listing of all known medical problems/symptoms for which a person seeks medical treatment for improvement/cure of their distinctive problems that have been recognized by the American Medical Academy and the Health and Human Services department of our government. (There has probably been some changes in this manual since my employment, but the general concepts remain the same as the intended original.)
As an Auditing Specialist, I and my co-workers (some without the extent of qualifications that would seem necessary to perform this position) were responsible for reviewing the medical records for physician office visits to determine whether the documentation in the record “matched” with the patient’s presenting symptoms and/or chief complaints at the time of the visit. It may not surprise most of you that this “match” was rarely met (if you could even begin to decipher the physician’s handwriting!). Office visit notes were scribbled at the time of the visit (probably no longer than the 5-10 minutes allowed per patient to ensure that the MD could see the maximum number of patients in ant given day).
If a diagnosis was even mentioned in the record it was an unusual occurrence. Treatment plans usually consisted of “return to clinic PRN” which means “as needed”, leaving the decision of whether further medical testing and/or treatment was “needed” to the discretion of the patients and significant others rather than to the physician to whom this responsibility is given at the time they take the Hippocratic Oath to “at first, do no harm.” While giving this responsibility to the patients, Kaiser was able to delay, postpone or make extremely difficult, the ability for the patient to make return appointments or receive a referral to appropriate consulting and treating specialists. Urgent Care employees, when questioned about the lack of appropriate documentation in the medical record, were not surprised, nor were they the least bit supportive of, the manner in which the physicians conducted and documented these office visits!! Given the opportunity to vent their opinions, it was apparent that most of the employees had very little faith or confidence that the patients were receiving the appropriate care in a timely manner (remember, each “visit” was limited to 5-10 minutes — if a patient could not express themselves clearly or did not have the ability to speak quickly and to the point about their symptoms, they were in the hallway, after seeing their doctors,looking dazed and perplexed about what to do next!!).
In many instances, they were not even seen by MD’s, but rather by the Nurse Practioner in that particular MD’s office. (Drop by the Kaiser outpatient offices at The Orchard Medical Offices in Downey, CA (Southern California Kaiser Permanente Medical Group) and you will see a steady stream of patients at all hours of the day and night!)
It would take reams of paper to even give a synopsis of the types of “errors” noted in the medical record and the corresponding charges requested by the MD. Yet, when these discrepancies were addressed in our audit reports, we were instructed by our supervisors and upper management (including the esteemed Medical Director of the group practice) to “find a way” to justify the charges or “look at it another way”. It is my firm belief that Kaiser has charged for services that were either not provided or where shabbily done. Let’s not even address the co-payments required by patients, to be paid at the time of the visit, or be charged an additional $15.00 for the privilege of being billed at a later date.
As you may have gathered by now, I am no longer employed with Kaiser and if I had not resigned my position, would probably have been fired for my thorough review of the records I reviewed. I did not hesitate to speak loudly and frequently about the discrepancies I had found — and, as such, was not viewed as a valuable asset! (In fact, I had been “disciplined” and given poor performance evaluations for essentially doing the job that was required of me — audit for the complete and accurate documentation in the medical record).
I had been, until 3/1/08, also been a Kaiser enrollee, receiving all my medical treatment from Kaiser physicians. I remember one time very clearly, after one of my “scheduled” appointments with a primary care provider, literally screaming at him regarding his lack of attention, while he showed me to the door. Didn’t do much good anyway — I had joined the Kaiser sheep fold and literally had no real recourse available to me. I admit that I held on to my Kaiser benefits for a long time simply because my employee benefits far surpassed any other type of insurance I could have obtained. My co-payments were ridiculously low!! I had surgery 3 times for recurrent bladder tumors, and paid only $5.00 for all of the inpatient services I received — including surgeon fees, anesthesia, medical supplies, and any other associated costs. How did Kaiser manage to keep my charges so low?? They were able to do so only because of the majority of their enrollees were paying upwards of $700 per month for their insurance benefits. To say that my health care was subsidized by the silent majority says it all!!
I must apologize for generalizing and making it appear that ALL Kaiser physicians acted as depicted above, for I was fortunate to receive treatment from some very qualified and professional physicians — but, because of my auditing experiences, I knew which MDs met their responsibilities and could selectively choose whom I entrusted to care for me. It is with deep regret that I acknowledge that the majority of Kaiser enrollees do not have the advantage of this knowledge, and are made to endure the horrific experiences as outlined by Ms. Stein and others who have posted comments on this invaluable Web site.
I am afraid to say that the only ones who “THRIVE” at Kaiser are the physicians who comprise the FOR PROFIT medical groups!!
I also apologize for this lengthy post and would like to thank everyone who had the patience to read it in it’s entirety–
I wish all current and past Kaiser enrollees the opportunity to have their medical needs addressed in a timely manner by professional and competent health care individuals. Alas, I cringe to admit, this may be possible only OUTSIDE OF KAISER!!
Best wishes to you all,
CTJ
I have been a northern Calif. Kaiser pt. for over 30 years and must agree the quality of care sucks. It sickens me the way they forcibly schedule appointments then you see a Dr. for less than 5 Minutes..most of the time they spend putting data in a computer. I have several non lifethreatening health issues..chronic.. that may well be treatable. It always amuses me that none of the Drs. ever scan charts before visits and act so surprised when I bring up the issues.So they really have dropped the ball on patient care. I too believe the Thrive solgan is a bunch of crap/\.
Also, several years ago my husband had surgery for an encapsulated appendix..which they first diagnosed as pancreatitis. They assured us both a biopsy would be done while he was on the operating table. They lied. We waited 4 days while he was in the hospital for the results. On the last day a Dr. walks in chats with us and on the way out the door says,” oh, by the way the biopsy results were negative.” It was straight out of a soap opera. This was a turning point in my respect for Kaiser. Today I have empowered myself to take control and manage my care my way. I pick and chose who I see and when I see them. I complain when my medications are screwed up and I remind everyone to be self-reliant about their health care especially with Kaiser.
Previous responders! You have my heartfelt sympathy. I wonder why some law firm isn’t collecting information for a class action suit. No one individual can effectively confront this giant.
Kaiser Permanente has been my trusted care provider since the early 70s. I checked into their San Diego Hospital on 23 March 2007 for a routine and low risk colonoscopy because I had justifiable concern about cancer. An possibly overworked ER nurse placed an IV at my right elbow, insuring it would be repeatedly exercised. It seeped blood almost immediately and the next day the floor nurse where I had been moved redressed it to no avail. The night nurse tried again by shoving the external plastic end of the IV catheter into the insertion hole in my skin. The next morning the day nurse removed the catheter to get me ready to go home. She conveniently didn’t note my elbow being a little inflamed around its entire circumference. I was too ignorant at the time to make an issue of it. Later in the day of discharge I noticed pus at the IV insertion site, treated it with Polysporin, and forgot about it. Two days later I couldn’t walk or talk and my wife called 911 which got me promptly to the ER and life saving treatment for sepsis at a Scripps Hospital. A Kaiser mandated move to its hospital followed by six weeks of IV antibiotics failed. As soon as the antibiotics were stopped around 10 May 2008 I descended again into sepsis to finally spend more than 13 touch-and-go hours in surgery and 3 more months in the hospital.
My health and vitality are gone. Kaiser caused that for me.
The protocol followed for my IV at Kaiser was obviously stupid, an almost guaranteed recipe for sepsis.
Being human I have asked for an apology and have been stonewalled. I have also asked for some verifiable evidence that the situation has been reviewed and some corrective measures have been instituted. Kaiser’s answer is that it cannot answer. It hides behind “legally mandated confidentiality” and privacy requirements. Very useful!
They have billed me for hospital admissions necessitated by the illness. I have asked them to suggest some compensation. Denied.
Kaiser put out a socially responsible document in 2003:
Patient Safety, Just compensation, and Medical Liability Reform,
Kaiser Institute for Health Policy, 2003
It’s on the Internet
One has to wonder what went wrong.
I am so sorry for your troubles. I too am dealing with a kaiser nightmare. My mother has stage 4 cancer because of medical malpractice. I wish someone could do something to stop the madness. Once in, you can’t get out. good luck to all who get sick and have kaiser insurance.
Barb
Barb, I feel your pain, my mother was lucky in thee fact that her oncologist was only a part time Dr. with Kaiser and had a top notch oncology practice at another local hospital so he was not your typical Kaiser Dr. He pushed with us for treatments and though he ultimately failed, it was not for lack of trying, caring, or pushing for resources for her. However, most other Dr.’s I have dealt with at ANY Kaiser facility have been pieces of work. Arrogant, uncaring and they know everything. (supposedly). I actually was able to prove a Dr. lied to me in the last three weeks of my mothers life and if I had not gotten her the hell out of the rehabilitation center they had sent her to she would have died there. it’s nice when you can prove the lie and hold the Dr. by the proverbial “nuts” but the best part was the reaction when she realized it… “uh, uh, you cant do that” exact words. I know there system pretty well and dont ever want to see someone else suffer because of a system that only cares for money. If you need help finding where to go to get things taken care of i will pass on any information i have that may help. nothing in return, just knowing someone is actually getting help and not going thru what my brothers and I did with Kaiser is satisfaction enough. I will check back for any questions every couple days. Good luck!
I am very sorry to hear this.
Kaiser has many incompetent doctors
Dr. Zemmar Lenoir misdiagnosed my uncle with arthritis 6 months ago. My uncle complained for 8 months and got regular checkup. He couldn’t walk and Dr. Zemmar Lenoir of Kaiser in Panorama City, Ca said that he had severe arthritis and prescribed him Vicodin. My uncle died last month of bone cancer, he had no arthritis. We have tried to sue Kaiser but so far they destroyed most of the records. All of the records that go back last year that have my uncle complaining were removed. Dr. Zemmar Lenoir is the most incompetent doctor and a big liar. I know of. He failed to do any tests on my uncle like a bone scan, MRI, Xray, nothing. I don’t know how this Dr. Zemmar Lenoir can sleep. Stay away from Dr. Zemmar Lenoir in Panorama City.
Kaiser ? are they in the business of health care ? Really?
I am in San Diego and find the care patient driven-to mean a patient has to self diagnose, go outside of the plan to get better if walking into Urgent Care or the ER does not work or go through so many doctors that you don’t even recall a name.
I have a question. What does it take to get surgery in one’s own area and have a board certified doctor do the surgery? I live in San Diego and they want to send me to Los Angles for a back surgery. Why, they don’t have a board certfied dr that will do the surgery in SD. But hey, papers for the BC are in the mail…they even asked me if I wanted to wait for it. I have had a lower back pain problem for 2 years. this is the very end before I think nerve damage will set in. I am paying a specialist out of my pocket for a consult. I am so outraged at what I read on this site but I belive it all. My own cousin almost died while on Kaiser. She had cancer. They kept nuking her forever and I went with her to ask, where is her cancer. The reply from the top oncologist “Good question” I don’t know. (you’d think he would have read the records and did a little testing now and then in between the years of nuking her with chemo. She had ovarian cancer, breast cancer.
After asking questions we already knew and Kaiser kept falling short, she was able to leave Kaiser,go to another plan and today she is cancer free after an immediate PET scan Kaiser refused and surgery, also refused. She has the tape recording of the Q & A with Kaiser.
Years after she dumped Kaiser, her mother got a short form letter, saying something to the effect that her daughter had died. She is still alive and all that was at least 8 years ago.
I am glad to heard I am not the only one that is being treated like a pile of discarded crap b/c I chose an HMO that is only worried about money and not health care. I have been trying to get my back fixed for 5 months now and ironically today (10-21-08) my job was featuring a benefit seminar and when I was hung up by a scheduler Christina Burns who apparently schedules for all the surgeries hung up on me! She basically told me i had a bad attitude and this wouldn’t help me get schedule. Thank God for Stephanie Woodword for being present during this very mentally distrubing situation. I was at work and I am a receptionist and was brought to tears by this. I am just trying to get my back fixed, but seeing and reading all these horror stories, is making me have second thoughts and deciding to go w/another provider. I am glad we have choses where I work!
Renee Jonson
Westminster Colorado
I am glad to heard I am not the only one that is being treated like a pile of discarded crap b/c I chose an HMO that is only worried about money and not health care. I have been trying to get my back fixed for 5 months now and ironically today (10-21-08) my job was featuring a benefit seminar and when I was hung up by a scheduler Christina Burns who apparently schedules for all the surgeries? She basically told me i had a bad attitude and this wouldn’t help me get schedule and than hung up on me. Thank God for Stephanie Woodward (a Kaiser Associate Account Manager)for being present during this very mentally distrubing situation. I was at work and I am a receptionist and was brought to tears by this. I am just trying to get my back fixed, but seeing and reading all these horror stories is making me have second thoughts and deciding to go w/another provider. I am glad we have choses where I work! This is hopefully the last phase of a terrible experience dealing with this system and I pray for all the other victims that have had to endure worst situations than me! Too bad they have the money to fight the legal battles and maybe if we start to look for other health care that will treat us properly and professionally and correctly this HMO might come back to the passionate side of customer service!?
Renee Jonson
Westminster Colorado
I just want to add that I believe complaints on this page; I go to the Kaiser in L.A. and have experienced similar situations. It seems to me like every time I’ve gone to Kaiser within the last 10 years with symptoms, the doctors don’t have any idea of what diagnosis to come up with for the symptoms. It’s always me who has to suggest diagnosis to be tested for. If it weren’t for me who likes to inform herself about different illnesses I wouldn’t be able to contribute towards the diagnosing for the doctor. I am also currently on psychiatric medication and it seems like when the physician realizes this he/she disqualifies any of my requests. There attitudes seem to be - now that you have a mental illness you can’t come up with reason and therefore your comment does not count.
Oh my god, it is like reading about myself. Except I am still “kind of” healthy. I have experienced ineptitude, stupidity and the “referral to mental illness professionals when they can’t come up with a routine diagnoses” syndrome repeatedly at Kaiser. I actually did that and discovered that the shrink they sent me to doesn’t diagnose a thing. All she does is write a scrip. Which, in my opinion, makes her a licensed pusher. Thanks for the info, I’m going to change my provider the next change I get. I mean, these morons can’t even get an eyeglass prescription right. My last visit involved a gyn who squeezed my nipples so hard in her “breast exam” they almost bled, and then professed to have never heard about MRI exams as an altnernative to squashed-boob mammography. (Not good for women with highly sensitive breasts.)
It never ends. Don’t bother with arbitration, it’s bogus and rigged. The judges get paid by kaiser. We’ll all get em another way. This can’t go on forever.
It makes my blood boil when I hear people suffering from the cruelties of Kaiser Permanente. It’s a big scheme. Although they say they care about their patients, all they care about is $$$. They spend more time teaching their new doctors how to talk to their patients. Wait!! I thought doctors already knew how to be empathetic and how to express themselves. The problem is that the docs become stuck in the whole system. By the time they realize that this is no way to practice medicine, they cannot find another job that pays as much and lets you work as little as Kaiser.
Even among the Kaiser docs, there is a great unfairness levied against primary care doctors. They work like dogs and they have to see patients every 15 minutes. It’s just like a factory. A lot of Kaiser doctors are foreign medical graduates with questionable medical training and many suffer from inadequacies as human beings. Kaiser system has to be abolished or we will be better off driving/flying to Mexico or Canada to see a “real” doctor.
i would like to know how i can file a complaint to kaiser … my husband and i are very disappointed with their services
Sorry to hear about all this stuff with the KP docs. I’ve never had a problem with anything or anyone at KP in GA. I dont live in an area anymore where KP is offered, if I did I would sign up for medical services. I do hope that anyone with med issues do receive the best care and hopefully things will work out for the best in the end like my experiences did.
Well,
Kaiser is not a Care Giver!. It is a For-Profit-Farm. All iot cares about money. You have to go there wait 30 to 45 minutes then you may be called. However, Once I was 10 minutes late - shame to to DC traffic. The Nurse Practioner told me she can not see me as I was late. I complain to Kaiser have not heard back. Obviously, nothing happened.
I tried to change my personal policy from a higher rate to lower rate. I got a response saying that I have pre-existing condition and I have to pay more than twice what I am paying now. I am complaining to the Byreau of insurance.
I have to say that my heart goes out to all of you after reading every story on this site. I am not even sure how I ended up on this site. I am currently a nurse at Kaiser and have worked there for 11 yrs. I am originally from a small hospital in upstate N.Y. and I will say that the system at Kaiser is not even close to what I was use to in NY.
I can’t speak for anyone else that works at Kaiser, but I want to share with all of you what I am all about..I am currently in the pediatric clinic dept. in southern, CA. I truly do care about all of you that come under my care. What keeps me going sure isn’t the money…(There are plently of less stressful jobs out there that pay just as much!) For me, its a feeling of knowing that I have done the best I could to help my patients. Seeing that smile on my little patients face, etc. I have held the hand of a teen telling me she’s pregnant and doesn’t know what to do…I’ve cried with the family that just found out there baby has leukemia…
I am not trying to make you think that I’m some hero because I surely don’t think of myself that way at all…After hearing all these Horror stories, I want you all to know that some of us at Kaiser really do care about you and what happens to you. It really makes me sad to hear your nightmares.
I do also want you all to know that I truly believe eaach and every one of your stories, and am appauled as an employee to know that this is going on…I could also write a book on what I see wrong with Kaiser…I have though about going somewhere else many times because of what goes on and maybe at some point, I will. For now though, those little faces that I have come to know so well in peds are the sole reason I stay. I want to keep giving them the very best I have because they so deserve the best…
I hope if nothing else, you all will feel my heartfelt apology for my fellow Kaiser employees behavior, its inexcusable and astounding and it never should have happened.
Yup. Kaiser Permanente Sucks. Anyone who’s dealt with them for any significant amount of time knows this. They are:
SLOW
Takes FOREVER to see a doctor (for 5 minutes)
EXPENSIVE
And they have no interest in actually delivering care. For God Sakes, they don’t even give you the doctor’s phone number!
Fuck Kaiser.
Sadly, all of your stories are all too familiar. My family and I just went through a horrific situation surrounding my 81 yr. old father (a 30 yr plus Kaiser member). Last fall, he was taken into the Panorama City facility complaining of severe dizziness and unsteady gait. Despite his prior heart disease and previous neuro issues, no MRI was done and he was released, the diagnosis being knee arthritis. Two days and two falls later, we discovered he’d been misdiagnosed. He’d actually had a stroke. It took two or three days for his “physicians” to confirm this. One would have thought that he had a broken finger with their sense of urgency.
To add insult to injury, his “hospitalist” wanted to release him to one of their contracted “skilled nursing facilities” in just a week dispite his frail condition. Despite our disagreement (and appeal) he was released and his condition deteriorates.
We later learned that two MRIs had re-adjusted a magnetic programmable shunt in his brain, causing spinal fluid to exasperate his already frail condition. Mistake #2.
After a shunt adustment but no admitance of error, he is re-released to yet another SNF(first available is their policy) with existing pneumonia. Mistake #3.
When he deteriorated further and had to be re-hospitalized due to more avoidable complications (he should have never been released so soon to begin with), we were given the option of “palliative or hospice” care. Let’s just say, it was highly suggested to a point where we felt pressured. That was a major red flag. No doctor, nurse or specialist had wanted to meet with us regarding his prognosis, but a “family meeting” was actually scheduled to talk about his demise? My first thought was “let me get this straight….you make two major medical mistakes and then you ask us to authorize you to do what?????”. Our answer was thanks but no thanks. You do everything you can to make him well and leave everything else to a higher power. This was very clearly a case of cost savings disguised as caring social work on their part.
Unfortunately, my beloved father passed away this past January. I found him in septic shock in the second “skilled nursing facility”. The so-called nurses and nurse’s aids who had been attending to him that day apparently hadn’t noticed that he was breathing heavily, perspiring and in a state of shock. The Kaiser physician (who ironically attended a second “family palliative care meeting” that we were required to attend) on duty at the SNF had not bothered to test his urine, despite Kaiser knowing he was at a high risk of infection. I can’t help but think, in an effort to get one more patient off the books, she turned the other cheek as far as his care. Mistake #4.
Along the way, my ailing father was treated with arrogance, indignity and disrespect by physicians and case managers alike. I was so stupified by comments that were made that I couldn’t even react quickly enough.
I tried to make a difference by appealing his early discharges with Medicare, but to no avail. My sisters and I tried to get him into a recognized stroke care facility (since Kaiser didn’t seem to have a clue as to what to do with stroke patients other than their sorry excuse for SNF) but were denied. I too wrote a complaint letter, copying George C. and everyone below him, but to no avail. We did the best we could at the time given the circumstances.
I realize now that this is another one of thousands, perhaps millions of Kaiser medical mistakes and injustices that were preventable. I just hope that one day, they are exposed (and penialized) for the corrupt, sham of an organization that they truly are.
My father was a bright, intelligent, curious man man. He spoke over 5 languages, but could barely utter a sentance after his stroke. Shame on them. I’m left to wonder if Kaiser executives, physicians, case managers, Medicare officials and SNF CEOs would entrust their own family members to Kaiser’s care. I think not.
I feel like all of you. My father was refused medical care because he was misdiagnosed and Kaiser won’t revisit any mistakes. Here is the lesson we have paid dearly to learn: If you are caring for someone, be sure to get a record of every visit, every time (it is too late later, Kaiser works the file over.) If it is incorrect, or you want something to add, do it. Ask the member services department for the procedures to put your input into the file. Just be nice. This is more work than we are used to doing. It’s something so time-consuming that we want to put it off. But don’t put it off. Maybe most importantly, take pictures, if there is anything to take pictures of. Take pictures of the doctor standing by the bedside, take pictures of the nurses and the aides. Ask to see sores, have them take bandages off for your pictures. Always carry a camera anyway, so you will get used to thinking about taking pictures. It’s all an act of love. And you are protecting doctors from having to lie. We want happy doctors, don’t we? Get the drop on them while the problem can still be solved. So they can sleep at night.
My son passed away April 24, 2008, after his primary care physician kept calling his pain “acid reflux”. When he refused to give him any more pain pills, my son went to ER and discovered he had lymphoma. They would never surgically remove the tumors on his kidneys, told him his cancer “of all cancers” would be the one you’d want because it’s 100% treatable, drenched him with chemo until he was too weak to get out of bed…claiming they would send him to City of Hope for a bone marrow transplant, then stated they couldn’t even remove the tumors because, “look at him, he’s too unhealthy now”. His oncologist refused to refer him stating, “we can do anything City of Hope can do for him here.” When he went to ER the last week of his life at another hospital, I begged the hospital not to let Kaiser send him back to the one in Fontana - I had a grievance against them, and Kaiser refused to send him to Orange County, stating “all of his paperwork is in Fontana”…The other city hospital said that his blood count was too low and how did Kaiser expect to treat his cancer, since you need BLOOD to be healthy. He was sent to ICU on the 22nd of April, his fiance and him did have a chance to be wed by a Catholic priest, thought the County of San Bernardino wouldn’t acknowledge it because they didn’t run a get a marriage license filled out (of course he was bedridden during all of this and one doesn’t think of paperwork, especially when you get a call saying, “your son is going to have a heart attack or stroke”. There were a couple of times other family members would go into the room and find the air unplugged. I would stay on the floor and hear other rooms alarms go off and no one respond to them. It was a horrible, horrible hospital and I try to tell everyone I know to get rid of their Kaiser. I had a Doctor tell me that “they are only good at Kaiser, if you don’t get sick!” I could go on and on, but the main thing (since they almost killed my mom too with a surgical slice of an extra vein during an angioplasty), someone has to get a class action suit against them and not for the measely 250000 “cap”. They need to be punished. I hate them and yes, that earlier person said it perfect—”F” Kaiser!
I can’t help but feel sickened by all that I have read here… I am a career physician assistant who ALWAYS, regardless of a patient’s ability to pay, seeks the truth in a complaint. I almost took a job in 2006 at Kaiser, I consider it a BLESSING I looked elsewhere, because my natural truth-seeking patient care philosophy would have surely been stifled. I wish all of you who have been injured in some way by Kaiser peace and retribution, and I pray that the madness is stopped. I am not a Kaiser employee, I am not a beneficiary of their health care, but I am a medical professional whose eyes have been opened, and I promise to not only carry your words to other health care professionals, but to always remember to DO NO HARM when caring for my patients. Thank you–
I’m so sorry to read what you have gone though.
It makes what I’m going though look mild. But I’m not going to shut up about it. From the first phone call to kaiser I knew I was in for a Mr. Toads Wild Ride. They have lied to me since day one.
I hope you can have some kind of peace in your life. And I would suggest to you Acupuncture.
It helps my spinal injury.
Sending you healing vibes.
Thank you for sharing your story.
HI
kaiser has breached my privacy and they have admitted it after 8 month when human right office investigated. i dont know how to get restituition from hospital. i cant find any attorney in north bay area. please help
As far as I know there is no private cause of action for a privacy breach. Maybe if there were some economic damages, but you’d have to contact a civil rights attorney to find out. Call the Bar Association to get some names to try.
My heart hurts and my story is not unlike yours… I only pray that the President of the USA does not ask Kaiser to be the mainstream medical for all the poor people out there since no one can help us because we have Kaiser how can they help the people that do not have health insurance. I was having seizures because I was being over medicated and they kept saying that all my problems were in my head and sent me to a Shrink who believe it or not did NOT agree with the doctors… and after many EEGs they found a seizure and I was not faking it. I think if I were faking it I am in the wrong field and should have been an actress. hummmm I think that is the point most doctors were fake doctors, I do have a great doctor now and I am very glad for it. I do not go to Kaiser in the ER any more unless I have no other choice. I just stay home and hope for the best at least I am not a guinea pig and and have to suffer at their and hand and actually pay them to do so. I go when I think I can nto help myself. and at least I am alive to talk about it unlike some families here that are no longer with us..
my heart goes out to you!!!
Janet
I have had it with my HMO, they ridiculed me, made fun of me and said I can’t have any side effects from pegasys interferon/ribavirin combo treatment. Then my dr. said he would give me some testosterone cream if it warranted it then refused when my tests show that I am very low and that is why I am having problems, I can lose my job if I don’t get stronger and back in fit again. But because of the interferon treatment it has effected my body in a negative way and my dr. said I should not have any side effects from it cause it is a natural treatment, I think I am a victim of malpractice cause of this. My doctor wanted me to get a colonoscopy and said I should get it on my birthday cause it would be a good present, and I found that to be appalling and very unprofessional, I was shocked. Then the nurse told me I must be faking it, cause she never heard of anybody having problems with the pegasys treatment, so then I joined a support group and they couldn’t believe the treatment I have been receiving and told me to make a grievance, well I did and 15 grievances later nobody has contacted me and the dr. still gives me bad advice or does not know what to do with me, I find that very difficult to take, I never heard of dr.s treating there patients this way, I am 50 and never had it happen to this degree in my life. Please help me so I can get better. thanks. One of my dr’s yelled at me when I needed short term disability and ridiculed me and told me that he can’t go home and I shouldn’t be allowed to go home. I think this type of treatment is serious when it is to this degree.
My dr.s: Dr. Shvartsmann, Dr. Pagel, Dr. Parks in palm springs!
I was told I was a faker and liar and they told my fiance the same thing that the treatment can’t harm you, boy were they wrong still suffering the effects of the treatment and now my testosterone is very low so he said he would give the treatment then today he said I can’t justify it and that was it, they won’t treat me but they will give me a bunch of tests, weeks of tests and they won’t help me, they know what is wrong but won’t do it. this type of abuse should be illegal at the very best I should have a law suit cause I could lose my job over this, cause I am still very weak and having muscle problems and fatigue. Not sure what to do yet except to notify everyone I can think of newspapers, lawyers, congressperson.
The bad thing is that they have way too much power you have to go through the HMO help center in california if you are from california or similar in another state. Try the insurance commissioner and try your local newspaper. I am not afraid to tell my story cause this has gone on for over a year for me now.
Hey everyone, I’ve currently been on hold for 2 hours w/ Kaiser, trying to schedule and obtain important medicine for a cyst that is getting worse and worse by the day. My current ENT doctor is completely incompetent and is not helping, this is literally being dragged out, and I’m getting afraid for my health, I’m a young guy, 25, college student and I can’t get adequate healthcare from Kaiser! If anyone has any advice for me, or any helpful information please email me at hkp71984@yahoo.com,
thanks james in atlanta
First let me apologize for the length of the following..but I feel that it is a timely comment.
That said..
I feel for each & every one of you folks here.
Now..
Due to an Insurance change by my spouses employers..In Dec, 2008..I lost all my former Specialists and coverage..in one day!
Effective Jan, 2009, I signed up with Kaiser “Senior advantage” program in Los Angeles County, Ca.
I had a Dx of autoimmune overlap disease..MCTD..very serious, as it is all systemic.
Kaiser promptly threw out this Dx..and have said for one year now, “That they don’t treat this, go have a blood test, and contact my primary.”
In these last nine mos.I have progressed to a walker, a c-pap breathing machine, partial hearing & sight, as this goes untreated.
I have four “sub-specialists and 6 MD’s..”supposed to be” specialists.
I now have a case manager for pain classes.
I have literally begged for help,only to be sent to Psychiatry & told I needed classes for anger management!
I am preparing to expose these “Kaiser Kid Docs.”
I have figured it out..kaiser Permanente has become a training facility. These so called “Specialists” are not even board certified for their specializations yet.
They have to meet certain criteria including treating a set amount of patients.
Often I feel that I know more than they do! I do my research, as I do not trust ANYONE with my life.
It took 40 years to finally get this Dx.
My former Double board certified Specialists had to go to my DNA with my blood work..then started the appropriate treatment, that saved my life.
Now I have NO meds (after a year of tests)..and am sicker than I have ever been in my life.
I am leaving Kaiser this month, to save my life.
Bless all that have to continue suffering the Medical abuses & neglect.
I will update as my journey progresses.
Do not point out your Kaiser psychiatrist’s lack of compassion or medical skill, because they will 5150 you on the spot.
If you are stuck with Kaiser as your insurance, don’t relay on them to help you in any way. Find alternative low-cost therapists, support groups, etc.
I sought treatment with Kaiser’s psych offices for 20 years — help never arrived, just pills & pills & pills and several bonehead psychiatrists who really couldn’t have cared less.
I feel so much better now that I don’t use Kaiser for anything other than filling the ONE prescription recommended by a non-Kaiser psychiatrist.
I agree.Try Kaiser on Maui=OVERT corruption; unchallenged.They are evil.They have ruined my life and continue to mistreat me.
Can’t we take these THOUSANDS of complaints to the gov’t to get action?
Or am I just too naiive?
My story follows the same story after story on this blog. Although I am a many year Kaiser employee, and I depend on the medical care I have encountered over 5 “incidents” where there is/was gross negligence and their cure was either more pills, psychiatrist, go to gym (127 lbs/ 5′7), they wrote drug seeking behavior on my chart due to a complete avulsion of a quad muscle accident, misdiagnosed for 2 years they kept telling me it was nothing,,exercise more, it must be a hematoma, it will take months to go away and they were not the least bit interested in helping me or finding out what was wrong.After I started to research my symptoms and reviewing my care , I first told the doctor what I thought it was after doing all my homework he laughed and me told me to lose weight and that he would order a mri just to show me I was wrong..turns out total avulsion of muscle,,,couldn’t be repaired, no one in kaiser had done it. Well we found one kaiser doctor who had done ONE, after mine, he had done two…mine didn’t work and 2 months in a wheelchair later,,I was told we could try it again.Kaiser denied me going to another surgeon who actually had experiance,,yes they love to practice and try new things on us as patients, without the expertise…I wont even go into the breast lump that I talk to 3 of my doctors about, no one, thats right not one “touched it” they all said it was scar because I had breast augmentation and revision 3 times. finally after mammogrom over and over i refused to leave the room until my primary touched what I felt,,,oh its nothing..yep and added “you are such a cry baby” I will send you to a surgeon just to prove it is nothing, The surgeon said the same sentence,,,your such a cry baby and it is just a scar, gee you had your breasts done 3 times?,,,well, the ultrasound found what I felt, after two years of complaining.To make it short, and it wasn’t, the metastatic breast cancer that spread into my lymph nodes was treated with a bilateral mastectomy and six long months of chemotherapy, complete with all the side effects that I was told, never happen, and they say,,we are really sorry. Me Too. but after the incisions infected and my doctor was on another vacation the vascular surgeon covering wants to take me to surgery again I asked him how many of this type of case he had done,,,that answer was none so..I asked for a plastic surgeon,,too bad not available,,it was said well it is friday.I had to stop chemo and then thank goodness I worked for a local wonderful plastic surgeon who took me to surgery the next morning and fixed the Kaiser Mess… I healed quickly, lost all confidence in Kaiser and I know they do not write the truth in the computer. I ask to see it when I go in and I ask to see what they write. for my leg they called it a minor repair of muscle,,on my mri complete avulsion of muscle, I asked them to change it,,and he did,,,so how is that done,,I will tell you, they can go back and add anything they want and they love the computer now because the handwriting was really a problem when you try to adjust the chart to keep yourself out of trouble.
My daughter was treated for sore ankles , they told us it was nothing at age 14,at college scholarship acceptance and entrance a chiropractor was looking at her ankles and asked why she hadn’t had her “tarsal colition” repaired prior to college. When we went back to the podiatry, same doctor he said oh she will grow out of it..not….now another podiatrist at kaiser wants to fuse her ankle, she will never bend it again and the first podiatrist retired early after some other incidents and complaints,,,very timely. That is the same daughter of mine who had a miscarriage at week 14, D and C and two days later complains of belly pain,,,back to kaiser ultrasound and I see something,,me a novice,,Dr. says oh that will pass, antibotics and lots of sickdays with belly pain,,week after week calling to talk to dr, worried that she was not getting better,,,,really badly bleeding and THREE MONTHS LATER