Part 2 of the Kaiser Permanente stories we missed during our hiatus from posting:
- After an initial refusal by Kaiser, California Department of Managed Health Care officials finally obtained the documents needed to complete investigation of a complaint that call center scripts sometimes lead to misdiagnoses and delayed care.
- Two Bay Area residents filed a class-action lawsuit against Kaiser for refusing to treat children with autism. This is a separate case (PDF of legal complaint) from the Arce v. Kaiser Autism Class Action that we have covered periodically.
- An Australian court finally found Dr. Death Jayant Patel guilty of manslaughter in the deaths of three patients. He was sentenced to 7 years, which some are calling “totally inadequate.” Former colleagues at Kaiser had previously written glowing letters of recommendation to help him obtain the job. The San Diego Union-Tribune has a timeline of important dates in the case, and our archives can be found here.
- Kaiser loses lawsuit to group of 2000 employees for wage and rest period violations. This is also a good example of the dirty trickery engaged in by Kaiser’s lawyers in all lawsuits. Finally a judge who didn’t allow it.
- Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest was fined $70,000 for using provider contracts that it did not file, plus $30,000 for a series of violations related to claims, agents and plans.
- A Boulder, CO woman who believes she contracted H1N1 in Mexico, filed formal complaints with state, national and world health officials to report KP for refusing to treat or test her for swine flu.
- The California Department of Public Health fined Kaiser Permanente $250,000 for violating patient privacy laws when several hospital employees inappropriately accessed medical records of Octomom Nadya Suleman.
- Kaiser refuses to conduct adoption physicals, even if you are willing to pay out-of-pocket.
- Another class action lawsuit filed against KP by parents claiming their infant son died because Kaiser’s policies have institutionalized substandard care.
- Yet another class action lawsuit filed, this time by a San Francisco woman who claims Kaiser double-charged co-pays, in a case that her attorney said could affect “hundreds, potentially thousands” of policyholders.
OK, well that’s it for now. Much more to come, and we’re not even out of 2009 yet.
I’m glad you are posting these. Some people I work with like to think you were not updating because Kaiser somehow shut you up, or that there has been less scandal to report.
I am so thrilled to hear that there are those that can successfully beat Kaiser! I am currently going through a battle with them. They just found three tumors inside me; one on my liver, one on my adrenal gland, and one on my lung. They said the don’t look cancerous and will redo CT Scans in 6 months????? OMG, I am devistated.
KP Slave: No, we won’t be shutting up anytime soon. Life gets busy and we take breaks, but we’re in it for the long haul because this is a cause we believe in.
KP Victim: People don’t beat Kaiser as often as they would be able to if our medical system was less corrupt. Even when they do you will rarely hear about it, because when Kaiser knows it has a loser case on its hands they will usually settle with a confidentiality agreement so no one involved in the case can talk about it. That’s how they keep getting away with the same atrocities over and over again. Good luck getting that scan.
Here’s to yah. Keep up the good work. Kaiser killed my grand father decades ago. WWI vet (German) and a good man and European Chef. More recently misdiagnosed two friends, very genuine and good young women, resulting in their deaths. Kaiser is scum and not far ahead of the other not for profit (Whatever that means)hoards of corporate medicine pimps. Single payer with accountability.
KP Victim,
unless you have biopsy ( the least complicated one is from the lung again based on the position) and proved to be non malignant, no one can sure what you have. Ask for second opinion. some blood test may help. good luck