Comments on: How Kaiser Permanente treats people who complain — you could be next

By: K. Boyer

K. Boyer — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 05:16:58 +0000

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

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:16:07 +0000

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?

By: erika

erika — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:09:36 +0000

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.

By: K

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 06:11:25 +0000

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.

By: james

james — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:47:45 +0000

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

By: Mike Miller

Mike Miller — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 05:50:11 +0000

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.

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 05:48:15 +0000

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.

By: Janet

Janet — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:22:33 +0000

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

By: Admin

Admin — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 22:47:04 +0000

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.

By: crystal

crystal — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:28:22 +0000

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