Comments on: NLRB judge finds Kaiser guilty of threatening union voters with loss of raises and benefits

By: Nancy Que

Nancy Que — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 02:33:21 +0000

Kaiser is in the midst of a critical phase of its history with a couple of developments under way. First, they have to re-build several hospitals and they didn’t budget properly for them. The costs for most expensive construction materials went up much more than anticipated, which means as much as another Billion Dollars. As if that weren’t enough, their electronic medical record system, KP HealthConnect, not only cost Billions more than what it was budgeted for, it doesn’t work. And by not working I mean there is so much bad and incomplete data that they can’t turn on the alerts that were designed to notify physicians when a patient might have an adverse drug reaction to a prescribed medications. Over the past two years about 40 of the top data administrators met to discuss whether to build another data mart to compensate for the shortcoming of KP HealthConnect.

Both of these two situations, the seismic upgrading of hospitals and failures of KP HealthConnect, are forcing the company to become more focused on the bottom line. Kaiser rates are higher than competitors now, they have way too many Medicare patients that they’ll have to care for–or NOT–and the Thrive campaign is not working as well as hoped to bring in younger healthy members. Kaiser could be heading into some rough times, in spite of their glowing pronouncements.

By: Dwayne

Dwayne — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 01:18:29 +0000

Is it just me or does it just seem like every time a kasier health care worker gets terminated,a manager gets a better postion,and they act like they care? They will even tell you,kasier made a mistake by terminating you for use of F.M.L.A and i will hold on to your Badge,when you come back!LIKE ITS A BIG JOKE.ITS are life work hard raise children,go to school,job,retire.I fill kasier took that away,from me and my wife.I leave it in my lords hands,the truth will prevail.

By: Jane Doe

Jane Doe — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 01:05:57 +0000

I can relate to Dwayn’s post. I was on intermit. FMLA and suffered much scrutiny in my unit. I received no support from management, HR or union and was pushed out to fulltime medical leave. The stress was unbearable. When FMLA ran out, Kaiser posted my position even though I was on med. leave. I was told I would have 6 months protection; they filled my position after 4. I was recovering from a major surgery that took place at my worksite! I returned early and sustained a 20% pay cut! Union is not helping at all. Says Kaiser is within contract; however I contend there are multiple mitigating circumstances to my leave.
End result to this is I accepted the same position on another work site, performing the SAME duties and sustained a significant decrease in income. Neither my union nor HR have honored the “Emplyment Security” image they have falsely agreed to in Labor Management and Union Coalition Agreement. The Labor Partnership expects employees to promote Kaiser; however, I can assure you, this is NOT the case at the ground level. I used to be a very open and heavy advocate for Kaiser as an employer; however, this is no longer the case. I was treated like a criminal, with no sense of professional courtesy in taking away my job. Administrators have punished everyone for lack of leadership. They have hidden their objectives in contractual agreements with broad language in support of the Union.
I suspect deep allegiance amoungst organizors,management and partnerships. I no longer feel valued or heard as an employee; however, I will say that my care is recognized EVERYDAY by members that I serve. I take great value in making a positive difference in the lives of patients and family members. I will also say that I really believe that most all Kaiser health care providers REALLY CARE about our patients. If the care is less than compassionate it is mostly the lack of support and leadership of the staff. My health care providers are outstanding, really. I can only hope that upper class administrators continue to support their services. Although Kaiser has really given me the shaft as an employee, I can not find it within myself to compromise my care to patients. But, I will never advocate Kasier as an employer again, unless the have earned it.

By: Dwayne

Dwayne — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 20:48:31 +0000

[Terminated,for use of F.M.L.A] yes,to make long story short,my wife work for kaiser permanente for 10yr.i was a crane opper,for 32yr.and we raise five children.one of are sons past away in 2003.and in 2006 i had a heart attack.i was diagnose with heart disease.So i was not quialfied to work as a crane opper.so i got my ssd.I have to take alot meds.and four doctors that to me is like famliy,they help me live so i can watch my grandchildern,grow.all eight of them. Now the bad news,so to me and my wife kaiser was like famlly,until my wife was terminated.,because i was sick. and she used F.M.L.A,and her union rep told her not to worry about it you will be laughing all the way to the bank.My wife just wanted her job back she told them.and six months went by and her union said they could not help her.WE FELT BETRAYED WE LOST A LOT BECAUSE OF F.M.L.A AND HER UNION.

By: Sandra Mitchell

Sandra Mitchell — Mon, 16 May 2011 19:07:18 +0000

l The problem at Kaiser it’s big. THRIVE is they logo….. I ask my self thrive how and who? YES, KP is a criminal organization, they are the new way of slavery, Union workers you are o.k “The partners” have your backs, they work 60 plus hr a wk. and have no time to get they head out off the water to see that they are drowning. So if you go to Kaiser to see your family Dr. Don’t blame them for they lack of time, they don’t have any to breath or live. KP IS CRIMINAl NO ONE, BUT THEIR POCKETS WILL TRIVE.

By: Lindsey Guest

Lindsey Guest — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 23:59:07 +0000

I applied for coverage over a month ago and my application was still under review. I called to ask why and they said, “I don’t know” so I asked to speak to a manager. I spoke to David the manager who said it was taking so long because I had two “yeses” on my application. Those yeses were because I had seen a doctor in the last 12 months and she had written me a prescription and that if I was unhealthy then they wouldn’t approve my application because they are a business and they wouldn’t make any money if they accepted unhealthy people. I am 28 years old and 100% healthy. I saw the doctor because I had seasonal allergies. David told me that I was not in fact healthy if I had allergies and they could deny me coverage. I am so outraged by my conversation with David. Health care in this country is all about the insurance companies making money (as explained to me by David). Health care has nothing to do with the health of this nation. I am from Canada and I believe that health care coverage is a right. If I get hurt and don’t have insurance, I’ll be completely bankrupt and I’ll have to go into debt. I might have to move back to Canada because of this. That would probably be a good thing for me to do because I can’t risk getting hurt now. I’m going to try Blue Cross and hopefully they will cover a healthy person in their 20′s. My heart goes out to the people who are ill and don’t have coverage. KP is a criminal organization.

By: LehnaBug

LehnaBug — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 02:02:24 +0000

Even though I can’t stand FOX “News”, I think we all know of a great candidate for this:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/02/05/government-launches-health-care-fraud-wanted-list/?test=latestnews

By: Lenha's Mom

Lenha's Mom — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 16:05:19 +0000

Interesting…I’ve heard the “I don’t have time for this” numerous times as well. This is exactly what the OB/GYN told me on my very first visit to Kaiser before they killed my Daughter. It’s the “I don’t have time for this” attitude that killed my Baby at Kaiser.

They could not be bothered to deliver her in a timely manner because they simply did not have time for this, ie, did not have time to provide care. Correct me if I am wrong but I thought this is what healthcare providers are in business to do…provide care.

It is just not about “care” at kaiser. You will get NO care at Kaiser.

I was hung up on several times also when I was attempting to get my records that Kaiser was witholding after they killed my Daughter.

Hanging up is a convenient delay, stall, wear down tactic. They are not in business to provide care of ANY kind. It is a scam. Kaiser is a scam all the way around.

By: Hamlin

Hamlin — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 17:14:45 +0000

Admin,

Why don’t you create a section for people who wish to express their disdain with application and claim rejection ordeals they suffered at the hands of KP? Or is there any page hidden/buried in your website dedicated for such affairs?

This is just unbelievable! My mother called to request a reconsideration, and the first two agents simply dumped her to some backline “pre-recoreded” message and asked her to “leave a message”!!! Is this normal?

Then after several minutes of beating the dead horse, the next agent relayed her to her supervisor–the butcher. My God! This woman was so disrespectful, I wouldn’t have believed the amount of contempt she projected on my mother if I wasn’t sitting by her myself. She was on rapid-fire mode and wasn’t even letting my mother get her words out. Is it legal to record the conversations?

Why aren’t more people coming out with exposing their antics? She didn’t even want to hear “why” my mother’s application was rejected; constantly tapping on monitor saying this is it, “we are rejecting many people,” “you are ‘wasting’ your time with ‘me’,” “I don’t have time for this.” She literally told my mother she is “tiring” her after 2 minutes of she presenting her case as to why she is not in any form of high or even low risk of medical attention. Then she “hung” up on her… TWICE, before telling her “I don’t have time for you” again. These folks have been trained to bark like a junkyard dogs. The great private health care system of this country. I am wondering if someone as healthy as my mother, in her age bracket, can get rejected, then who would have any chance?

Here’s what these bastards are doing: They have set up a new program with set of reduced premium plans which basically only accepts VERY HEALTHY individuals (read: 20 – 26 male with no prior illness). I bet you a million bucks if you wear a prescription glasses, that is considered to be a pre-existing condition.

What they do next is, jack up the premiums on the existing/old plans by 20%+ just to weed out those who cannot pay for such exuberant price tags. If you bother to stay, you pay dearly while they maintain a “healthy” pool with their new plans which costs them almost next to nothing.

Now get this, you cannot even switch between your existing/old plans, that is, you have no other option to switch, to say, higher deductibles or even lower ones–you are locked in. You are trapped. Either they want you out of their program or lock you in with rediculously higher premiums which no one in the right mind would accept.

P.S. Why aren’t the admins here create a section to hear others’ plight regarding application and claim rejections with KP?

By: David

David — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 02:09:10 +0000

Hamlin,
I myself, would consider you to be lucky to be rejected by Kaiser. Trust me, you don’t want Kaiser.

Halvorson is a joke too.