Kaiser Permanente was founded in 1945. It is a nonprofit health insurance provider with years of industry experience. It offers employer-provided plans, Medicaid, Medicare, charitable health insurance, and other private insurance plans. Kaiser Permanente's plan selection makes it easy for people to find good health insurance. Its plans are available in eight states and Washington, D.C.

Kaiser Permanente offers quality patient treatment and care through its networks, which also makes it a good option. Kaiser Permanente health insurance plans provide insurance coverage at Kaiser Permanente hospitals and clinics. Each Kaiser facility is staffed with high quality health care providers including primary care physicians and specialists.

Members can receive several different kinds of medical care and treatment at one medical center, which makes receiving health care treatment convenient. This offering makes Kaiser Permanente stand out from other insurance providers. While some may find the restriction to receiving care only at a Kaiser Permanente Center, it is helpful if there's a Kaiser Permanente clinic or hospital in your community.

View Kaiser Permanente Reviews

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The Good

Positive Customer Reviews
Easy to View Plan Options
Variety of Health Insurance Plans
Charitable Health Insurance
Unique Provider Network Approach
Member Services and Resources
Additional Tools and Perks
Customer Service

Positive Customer Reviews

A majority of Kaiser Permanente's reviews are positive. Reviewers mention good experiences with care providers and the convenience of working with Kaiser Permanente.

Customer Review: Vicki from Clearwater, Florida

"I was with them for years and I really loved them. All your doctors, hospital, tests, specialists and medications are Kaiser and in their facilities. You should check for your nearest Kaiser hospital/medical center first because most of your tests are done there. But being all in one it is incredibly easy to get everything you need done. The web site is also really good. You can check your appointments, test results, re-order prescriptions very easily."

Easy to View Plan Options

The plan selection at Kaiser Permanente is quite admirable. Kaiser Permanente won't require you to give out personal information like your date of birth or parts of your medical history to get even the most basic information about its insurance policy options in your area.

You just say whether you are turning 65 during the year, whether you get insurance through an employer, and whether you are looking for a plan for yourself or for a group. Then you input your zip code to see health insurance options in your area.

Getting the cost information for a plan will require further research because the monthly premium depends on several factors, like age. But the initial questionnaire will give you access to brief descriptions of the types of plans available and the overall coverage you can expect.

Variety of Health Insurance Plans

Kaiser Permanente offers individual, family, and employer-provided health insurance plans. Employer-sponsored plans help employers add value to their employees' benefits package.

Kaiser Permanente also offers Medicaid, Medicare, and charitable health insurance to individuals who qualify. It also offers catastrophic plans. Some Kaiser Permanente plans are compatible with Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). An HSA allows you to save pre-tax dollars to use to pay for medical expenses. Funds in your HSA roll over year to year.

Employers interested in adding vision and dental insurance to their employee health benefits can offer dental and vision insurance through Kaiser Permanente.

Premiums, coverage, copayments, coinsurance, annual out-of-pocket limit, and annual deductible, of course, depend on the individual plan. Before purchasing a health insurance plan, it's important to understand the full cost of the plan, which is not just the monthly premiums. In some cases, it may make sense to pay higher insurance premiums to have lower out-of-pocket expenses.

Charitable Health Insurance

Kaiser Permanente also provides charitable health coverage for low-income individuals who don’t qualify for public health insurance or have access to private health insurance. This offering makes it stand out from other health insurers.

Kaiser Permanente provides subsidies on premiums for these plans and additional financial assistance for out-of-pocket costs when care is received at Kaiser Permanente facilities for covered services.

These plans are available in California, Colorado, Georgia, the Mid-Atlantic (Maryland and Virginia), and Oregon. The name of the Kaiser Permanente’s charitable health coverage is different in each region

Unique Provider Network Approach

As you consider Kaiser Permanente medical insurance plans, keep in mind that it does not offer typical network structures, like Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) or Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans. Instead, Kaiser Permanete has its own facilities and providers for patient care. Care received elsewhere is not covered by the insurance provider. If you're interested in a plan with more typical network structures, consider other health insurance companies.

Customer Review: Fay Falatea from Kaneohe, Hawaii

"Me and my family have been insured by Kaiser Permanente for 13 years. The Drs I had were great and customer service from the receptionist was always pleasing. Was sad when I had to change to another insurance."

You should also consider the coverage offered by a plan before finalizing enrollment. Most plans fully cover preventive care. See what the coverage looks like for other treatment, care, or services you may need.

Member Services and Resources

Kaiser Permanente members have access to some great benefits, like an online member portal, mobile app, and glossaries of terms. My Health Manager is the name for the online member portal through which you access your account. Through My Health Manager, you can

View the benefits of your health plan
Make a payment
Download a form you need
Set up (or change) a date for a doctor's appointment
Email your primary care physician or specialist about a minor question
View your medical record

Extra abilities like viewing your medical records make this member portal, even more, personalized and convenient. Plus, members can benefit from Kaiser Permanente's mobile app that allows you to do many of these same tasks.

For members, there's also a dedicated FAQ section that gives you answers to questions you may have about getting an ID card, looking up a Kaiser doctor, and paying a bill.

There is also a dedicated member phone number to contact as well. Kaiser Permanente eases not only logistics but also health care education. Members and nonmembers alike can use Kaiser Permanente's glossary of health care terms, which might come in handy when shopping for a plan, learning how to use your benefits, looking up a provider, and more. Resources like these make the company more transparent and customer-centric.

Additional Tools and Perks

Kaiser Permanente offers many of the same added advantages that other health care insurance companies offer: discounts on health-related products, education about health care as an industry, and a mobile app. These added perks demonstrate Kaiser Permanente's dedication to supporting its members' health and well-being. Each company that offers these additional features puts its own twist on these features, and Kaiser Permanente is no exception.

The mobile app for this company is called the Kaiser Permanente Mobile App, and it allows members to do many of the same tasks that the member portal does. These include contacting your doctor, making a payment, finding a health care providers and medical offices, and viewing your medical history.

Kaiser Permanente has a lot of different discounts as well. Some of these are for fitness club memberships and for massage therapy. In addition, Kaiser Permanente has a wealth of information in its health guide.

Kaiser Permanente also offers health classes and healthy lifestyle programs to help people live healthier lives. If you're trying to make a healthy change in your diet, if you're trying to quit smoking or lose weight, or if you're struggling to manage a chronic illness, these resources would be helpful for you.

Customer Service

Kaiser Permanente values high-quality care. The company website is very helpful, with lots of details about the types of plans Kaiser Permanente offers, member resources, and ways to make the most of the plan benefits.

Kaiser Permanente also makes it possible for customers to get help in either English or Spanish as well.

Flexibility is found in other areas, too. With a health plan here, you can switch doctors at any time and use the find a doctor tool to find a different Kaiser physician. Kaiser Permanente has millions of members. With so many customers to serve, the company has developed a wide selection of resources. The company is transparent about its health plans. It makes navigating the member portal easy and intuitive. Kaiser Permantente anticipates customer questions well.

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The Bad

Negative Customer Reviews
Service Areas
Limited to Kaiser Permanente Hospitals and Medical Centers
No International Health Insurance

Negative Customer Reviews

Kaiser Permanente has also received a high percentage of negative reviews on BestCompany.com. A high proportion of negative reviews is not uncommon for health insurers. However, consider issues found in reviews as you decide whether or not to buy a health plan from Kaiser Permanente.

Reviewers who left 1-star reviews on BestCompany.com shared difficulties with claims payments and dissatisfaction with care received from Kaiser Permanente's providers.

Service Areas

One major limitation of Kaiser Permanente is the span of states that Kaiser Permanente can work with. This company limits itself to just several states out of 50, which means its health plans aren't even an option for you if you live outside of these states. If Kaiser Permanente's plans are not available in your area, you'll need to consider another insurance company.

Limited to Kaiser Permanente Hospitals and Medical Centers

Unlike most health plans that allow enrollees to choose the provider network structure (PPO or HMO), Kaiser Permanente plans only offer coverage for its hospitals and medical centers.

If you prefer to have more options when choosing a physician, you may want to consider another insurance provider that offers out-of-network coverage with some of its plans.

No International Health Insurance

Unlike some of Kaiser Permanente's competitors, the insurer does not offer international health plans. If you are looking for an international health plan for your company or yourself, you'll need to find another health insurance company.

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The Bottom Line

Kaiser Permanente is a great company for health insurance because of its industry experience and plan offerings. It offers many different types of health plans, including group plans for employers to offer employees, plans for individuals and families, and charitable health insurance for those who are not eligible for Medicaid but also can't afford to purchase their own health insurance plan. Kaiser Permanente also offers dental and vision coverage, and good member resources.

For specific information on plans, insurance premiums, and out-of-pocket expenses in your area, contact Kaiser Permanente directly or visit its website.

In fact, the main reason you may not want to use Kaiser Permanente's insurance might just be that you don't live in a region that this company services. For that reason, Kaiser Permanente is admittedly more limited than some competing insurance carriers. If Kaiser Permanente's medical facilities are not convenient to you, you may want to consider another insurer for purchasing health coverage.

If you want more flexibility when choosing care providers, you may also want to find an insurance company that offers out-of-network coverage.

Depending on the type of coverage you're looking for, Kaiser Permanente's plan details might not match up either. However, Kaiser Permanente members benefit from great member services. These include an online portal to manage your health plan, a mobile app, and discounts on health-related products. You'll experience these excellent benefits when you buy a plan from Kaiser Permanente.

For the right customers, this company offers transparency and a common goal to keep you healthy, both of which build trust.

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User Reviews

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2.6

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336 Reviews

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Andy Kearney

This company is incompetant. DO NOT USE THEM FOR YOUR HEALTHCARE. They are terrible. Especially for what they charge for healthcare. You can forget being taken care of. I have been with them for 15 years and in the last 5 years they have gone steadily downhill where its about the money, not the patient. Everything has become video visits and nurse practitioners. They keep losing good help and you end up with the people that barely passed their medical exams. If you are lucky enough to find a good doctor with them, rest assured they will not be there long. Oh if you are looking for weightloss help they will not approve anything with semiglutide just an FYI. I had my last covid vaccine and they didnt put it in my records causing me to get emails saying Im due for my covid vaccination that I already had!!! If they cant even manage basic care what do you think they will do with your long term healthcare??

1 month ago

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J S

Kaiser P. is one of the worst companies to work for. Period. I am with them for about 20 odd years. The service is going down the drain. The people they hire don’t care, the MD’s are under pressure to get more patients in for revenue and it will be a bonus for them. The person on the floor dealing with patients has to absorb all the frustration. Billing has been wrong, it takes forever to get through the phone and speak with someone. If patients would now internally what employees wrote about the company the would switch health insurance. There are people who still care but they are just a few. I will never hopefully go back to Kaiser, Actually I would give them a negative 4.

2 months ago

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Teri W Portland, OR

Someone is always available.. advice nurse, urgency care, virtual appts even at midnight when the kids always get sick! Believe me, kaiser gets an undeserved bad rap. I have used other insurances throughout my life and having to wait for treatment approvals, dr visits,, not getting a call back, being forced to go to the office for obviously simple issues is a waste of my time and the office’s, getting seen by a NP instead of when you thought you were seeing the doctor is a common practice on the outside. If you don’t care for your provider you can change, no questions asked. The old days of medical care are gone so get over yourself. You have to be your own advocate. I believe Kaiser is much more progressive in promoting good health, allowing pt participation, and innovations. Most services are contained in clinics.. pharmacy, X-ray, lab. So convenient and quick. No need to drive to various offices or to make appts for routine tests is a blessing. When you are sick u don’t feel like driving all over town! My primary care physicians have all been great, yes, they do retire, move, get promoted but you still get continuity of care. Your chart is available to every care provider. No need to start over when the dr changes. Cost is another benefit. You are getting more for what u pay. 24 hr availability, convenience, all in one location care, easy referrals to specialists, no waiting for approvals and then getting denied. Kaiser drs can concentrate on providing care rather than fighting with insurance companies. The drs also don’t see drug reps who barge into drs offices to dole out freebies, samples, etc. You don’t have to wait while the dr visits with the drug pushers. I’ve worked in private drs offices and see drug reps wasting the drs time a lot! Kaiser practices evidence based medicine.. no gimmicks, voodoo treatments or “the latest unsubstantiated” therapy. You are not their Guinea pig. I love my provider and Kaiser.

2 years ago

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LCC Vallejo, CA

When my family and I were living in the Bay Area, we used Kaiser as insurance and I love that we can schedule our own appointments online (we have an option to call to schedule) or you can do it yourself (I prefer this) - you can also see your doctors schedule and availability (usually, if I wanted an appointment the same week, like today is Monday, majority of the time, I could get a Wednesday appointment or earlier). Anyway, I also gave birth to my daughter at a Kaiser hospital and I had a great birthing experience and stay (my daughter was born at 35 weeks) so we stayed a few extra days. Fast forward to now, we recently moved back to the place where I grew up (not in California, anymore) so we had to unfortunately give up our Kaiser insurance and go with whatever was available at our location. Scheduling alone, I cannot do it on my own and I scheduled yesterday for a yearly checkup & yesterday was June 19th, my appointment is July 19th. What in the actual...? I also got my hearing tests done with Kaiser and got my hearing aids from them (unfortunately, no insurance covers the cost of hearing aids since it's considered cosmetic) - I wish Kaiser would fix this especially for people who have hearing loss (trust me, no one wants to spend $3500 on hearing aids, and for sure we don't consider it cosmetic to be wearing hearing aids or to even own them!) That is my only negative thing, I feel that Kaiser could at least give a 50% discount on them. I basically had to use my travel savings for my hearing aids because they didn't even have monthly payments available. I do miss our Kaiser insurance and just having everything in 1 location - we lived nearby a Kaiser hospital so we got everything done at that location, only time I went to another location which was only 3 miles away from the hospital was when I got my hearing tests done and did a fitting for my hearing aids.

5 years ago

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Roberta C. Mableton, GA

I'm in my 60's and have been covered by Kaiser for almost 20 years. I can think of only 2 occasions when I received substandard treatment, and it was related to Kaiser referrals to locations outside of their own facilities. I am very cost conscious and budget-oriented. I don't like to play Russian roulette with health care costs because I can't afford it. I need to know covered/uncovered expenses beforehand, so I can make good decisions about discretionary care. Kaiser health plan details are laid out in an understandable manner that manages my expectations. The only missing ingredient is how much a procedure costs to calculate my portion of the expense. I can call Kaiser to get the info, or some procedure expenses can be accessed through their member web site after login. Kaiser is continually upgrading their computer systems for members to access more of their health info on-line. Some of the things I've done in their system is make an appointment, emailed my doctor, checked test results (blood test results are generally posted within 24 hours, so I can see the results even before the doctor!), ordered prescription refillls , etc. I like Kaiser because "rooftops" come with their health plans. Their closest location to my home is their Cumberland facility. I don't have to worry about in-network or out-of-network. Everybody at their multiple Atlanta metro Kaiser building locations are employed by Kaiser, which translates to in-network care. I don't have to shop for any doctors because Kaiser employs primary doctors, specialty doctors, and even vision doctors. I just wish they had a dentist!!! Although I've never had to deal with a serious illness, I do have a couple of non-life threatening chronic conditions that need minimal attention. Whenever I experience an acute illness, I call Kaiser and they get me in to see their doctor or intern the same day. If unable to do so, I always have the 24/7 option to walk in to their new Town Center emergency care in Kennesaw. It's setup like a hospital. I used it once on a weekend. Each exam room includes a hospital bed, so if necessary, they can keep you overnight. I think they are equipped to handle all emergencies except for surgery. I have confidence in the Kaiser doctors I've encountered and feel like they give me excellent care. Whenever I visit, they document their diagnosis and care instructions on their computer during my exam. When I leave, they print a copy for me, so I don't have to remember what they said and all the things I need to do to remedy my illness! (They are a little pushy on preventive services, but they do respect my choices in that regard.) I've observed positive changes in Kaiser resulting in continual efficiencies. Appointment check-in is quicker with each visit to the point where last month, I used a kiosk to check-in. The staff is friendly and service-oriented and very conscientious about "wait times". It's time for me to make a choice for 2019 health care coverage. The cost of Kaiser coverage for my situation (I've been buying through healthcare.gov ie the affordable care act) is substantially higher, which has put me in the shopping mode. I'm stymied by the PPO providers like Ambetter and Blue Cross regarding in-network/out-of-network. If I'm in an ambulance being rushed to the nearest hospital, I won't have control over "networks" and I don't want to go bankrupt over something outside of my control. Effective in 2018 Kaiser is using Emory Hospitals in their network. In the past Kaiser provided coverage at any emergency facility until it is feasible to transport me to "their" hospital. I'll need to recheck that element, as it is a valuable component, which will influence my 2019 coverage decision. Typing this review has been therapeutic in consolidating my thoughts about Kaiser. I didn't realize how much I appreciated them until I wrote this review. It sounds like I've talked myself into another year of Kaiser coverage, but will continue to research other options for a few days to be sure I've done all my homework. It has been most helpful for me to read reviews for other health care providers on this Best Company site, and I hope you get that same benefit from my review. I hope I live to see the day where everybody gets the same good care across the board without this painful annual process!

6 years ago

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Dan Mckenzie Livermore, CA

My experience with Kaiser for more than 30 years has been excellent. I have not always agreed with every doctor that I've seen, I think that would be the case with anyone, but throughout the years I feel my health has been put first over anything else. I have had several surgical procedures with positive results all the way through physical therapy. No healthcare system is perfect, but I feel well cared for whenever the need for treatment and preventative medicine has arisen.

1 year ago

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W Kelly New York, NY

Based on experience in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. I've been a KP customer for more than 25 years. The medical services have been outstanding. Fortunately, my family has great genes and has been generally healthy, overall. The only issues I have observed is an apparent long-standing lack of ability on the IT/IS side of the house. On-Line applications like pharmacy and bill pay work poorly. I've never been able to pay on-line for co-pays that were for some unknown reason not collected from family members at the time of service. The mobile application either hangs or entry fields are missing or are non-responsive. Correct passwords sometimes do not function. The pharmacy shows items available for refill when they are not. "Your Prescription Is Ready" notifications that were filled in person are texted hours after they were picked up. I refilled last night at 11pm and was notified at 8am that this prescription was ready. Pharmacy app is apparently unable to discriminate between controlled and non-controlled prescriptions, although they are handled differently. Other communications from Kaiser seem to work well.

2 years ago

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Tino Ze , FL

Have been with Kaiser since i've been in the United States, so 17 years. Have not had an issue with them. Perhaps because I do not have any pre-existing conditions and just need basic health care. I love how they are easily accessible. When I lived in MD Kaiser was just 13 minutes drive and now I'm in VA, its a 20 minutes away which is not bad. Signing up is easy. You can pay your premiums through their website. Premiums are a bit pricy but that's like that with all insurance providers. You can get your test results quickly and also you can easily check them online. If you need records of your past medical visits, including immunizations, they are all available online and can be downloaded via PDF.

3 years ago

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Janice Tucker Pinole, CA

I've been with Kaiser for over 30 years. they have taken care pf all my health needs including routine medical care, HBP and diabetes, spinal surgery, accidents with broken bones, and much more. I've had acupuncture and physical therapy for back problem and my medications prescribed and OTC are my medications are reasonably priced and delivered. I have been very satisfied with their services down through the years..

4 years ago

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I'm Evans Ellenwood, GA

Reneathia P. B, MD Was awesome! My son has been an established patient since Jun 2019; although I’ve always has a good experience at KP, Dr. B made it a memorable one. She loving, caring, but most of all concerned! She went over and beyond during my visit with her. May God bless such a woman of her character! I am forever grateful, thank you for choosing such wonderful professionals.

4 years ago

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Linda Kelley

I love Kaiser, I have been with them since I was 15 in 1965. I've been fortunate to have a job that offered Kaiser for myself and family then my husband got a job that paid for family and him and we kept Kaiser our whole working life and now retired we have Senior Advantage. I've seen Kaiser grow through the years and improve vastly from my early years. I've never been disappointed with them.

5 years ago

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Allen G Helm Arlington, WA

I started seeing a cardiologist in April of 18 and i was diagnosed with afib so i was scheduled for a pace maker as i started taking meds to lower my heart rate and i have had numerous appointments since then. I have no complaints with Kaiser Permanente, the nurses and medical teams are great and through. I had an appointment today and was very pleased with the results, I am very happy with Kaiser.

5 years ago

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Mark

Our family has used Kaiser for over 30 years. It has taken good care of us through routine and emergency needs and we have appreciated the preventive and needed health care we have received. It can be frustrating to wait for certain parameters to be reached for some surgeries, but otherwise, they are right on for getting things done. As my family has grown and left home, the biggest complaint is that Kaiser is not easily located in the states where they now live. Kaiser is good for covering emergency treatment in those areas, but it would be nice to have regular doctors and health care available there too.

7 years ago

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Frank Herbert

I have been a member of Kaiser since the 1980's and have used their services in Virginia, Northern and Southern California and Oregon. My family has been covered as well. My children were born in Kaiser hospitals and have received all of their vaccinations and eyeglasses from Kaiser. I had successful cancer surgery and my wife has had both knees replaced and cataract surgery as well. We have complete trust in the doctors and nurses and find it easy to access them in person and online. We have all our medicines mailed to us. The overall cost is substantial, but we have minimum deductibles and worldwide coverage. There is occasional staff turnover but the quality of care has always remained high.

2 years ago

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Baj5527 Brigham City, UT

We had Kaiser when we lived in California and I always had good experiences with them. I had several different Doctors within the organization. My GP was really good. I had bad migraines and some times if I called his office and told them, he would just let me come in to get a sit for my migraine instead of making me go to Instant Care or to ER. He was the best. That was Dr H. I also had a good gastrointestinal Doctor. I have a bad memory so I can’t remember his name but it took me going through two other GI Dr.’s before I got to him. He finally was able to get down to the root of some of the real problems I was having. They got my to a Neurologist who started helping me with those migraines too. I have nothing but good feelings for Kaiser in Riverside, California.

4 years ago Edited September 14, 2021

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Dayna Denver, CO

I haven't even had this insurance for one week and it's seriously the worst experience I've had. I have one prescription to transfer and I've been on the phone all week trying to get it transferred. They said they wouldn't transfer the prescription unless I saw one of their doctors. I talked to their schedulers and they couldn't get me in before I would miss a dose. They told me to contact the doctor about my situation. I did and their office called me and said they wouldn't perscribe it before my appointment. Then I rescheduled my appointment with a different provider further away. I get to the appointment only to be told the provider they scheduled me with could not perscribe the medication. I went all the way down there and took off of work for absolutely nothing. They are a cheaper insurance option. Which is why I decided to give them q chance, but they have proven you get what you pay for. Update: they were able to get me in to see an actual doctor and they were able to renew my prescription. The new doctor I saw was great! While there does still seem to be organizational issues and I had to fight a lot to get what I wanted, it did end up working out. Overall, some doctors are great while some of the staff don't know what they are doing.

2 years ago Edited January 10, 2022

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Nika O Silver Spring, MD

The good thing about Kaiser was most things are under one roof and it was easy to agree with a primary doctor on therapies and tests I needed. Also I could see the results of the tests in my account. Plus they paid for my thyroid medicine. Things are noe different with Carefirst - they did not pay for the medication that worked for me over a decade and offered something else instead!! And not only that. The only problem with Kaiser was the termination process and a letter for my next year payment shocked me, but I sorted this out. Hope Kaiser's customer service is better.

3 years ago

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Stephen Foltz Portland, OR

The only good thing about Kaiser is the people that work in the ER, hospital and labs. But their membership support needs help. They were good at making sure all my prescriptions were up to date, but the website is hard to navigate, links do not always work, previous visits, vaccinations, etc. are never listed in alphabetical order or by date order. Phone numbers that are listed as 7 days a week and daytime hours are closed. I get a text that my prescription can't be refilled due to a payment issue and then I can't get through on the phone. Third try I'm told they are closed on weekends. I really enjoyed the consistent communication and services I received from Adventist Health in Portland. Kaiser cannot begin to compare to the efficiency of Adventist Health systems. AHS is not perfect, but much better overall.

3 years ago Edited January 14, 2022

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Brad Willis ,

I'm been with Kaiser my entire life and I'm in my late 50s. I think that if you are young and healthy, Kaiser can be very good. But as you age and actually start having problems, perhaps there are better options. In my case, I had not had labs in about 3 years. That's partially my fault, but also I think my doctor should have pressed me a bit to get them done. When I finally got them done, I saw that I had type 2 diabetes and kidney damage. I requested a referral to a nephrologist several times and was denied each time, despite having micro albumin of over 700! (below 20 is normal). Now I'm much worse, again largely my own fault, but I do think that a specialist would have helped me to keep things under better control. I will be doing a teleconference with a doctor on Monday and I'll press hard for a specialist. It's my view that they try quite hard to avoid referring you to a specialist in order to save money for the company, and that's not right, in my view. My mother has had chronic heart failure and I think her experience has been a bit better. Years ago, I had a woman throw a wine glass at me, severing an artery in my wrist. The surgeon simply tied off that artery, so now I only have one instead of two. I've been told that was probably not the best way to address that issue and that the artery likely should have been surgically repaired. I did have a different doctor who did a good job on the tendon repair and nerve reattachment. So again, if you are young or quite healthy, they can be a very good option. If you have chronic problems, you should explore all options.

3 years ago

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Odao Ogbonmwan Mableton, GA

I really like Kaiser Permanente, the convenience of getting all my prescriptions and paying for all my doctors visits at once in the same place is very helpful for me. I wish we could’ve been able to stay with them but it got too expensive and had to go with another one. If it wasn’t so much to pay each month I’d go back.

4 years ago

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John G. Pasadena, CA

As a Kaiser member for a good portion of my life, I'd say it has been, by far, the best health care I've had. The convenience of how its integrated care system works is truly exceptional. Those that give it fewer stars obviously have a bone to pick with KP, so be wary.

5 years ago

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Mary Calloway

All services with same facility can be referred to specialist after initial visit with primary doctor. Doctors really listen and schedule appropriat test with no hassle over cost. Can get durable medical supplies at nomimal cost. The list goes on and on.

6 years ago

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Charlotte P Herriman, UT

When we lived in California, I had Kaiser insurance for my son. I never had any complaints with his insurance, we used it a lot since he has sever asthma, so breathing treatments...late night ER visits etc. At one point he broke his foot and the medical staff at the Kaiser hospital were absolutely wonderful! We never had a dispute with the insurance and the Kaiser pediatricians that we saw were always very kind and super attentive. At one point I took my son in because he had a weird brown stripe on one of his fingernails and the doc wasn't sure what it was, so he took some pictures and sent us on our way saying that we were going to monitor it to see if it got worse. He ended up calling us that night after he had researched it and gave us an answer, he said he couldn't stop thinking about it. We have never had that happen before! Overall, I wish that there was a Kaiser in the state we live in now.

2 years ago

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Bob Trammell Los Angeles, CA

My wife and I have been on Kaiser Permanente for about 20 years. Their customer service is very good, but they have some really, really great doctors and a wellness plan that we use so we don't have to see them often. I've never had problems getting good medical card from Kaiser, even when I had to go to the hospital for treatment. There was no delay in getting approvals and they followed up afterwards to make sure everything was OK and make sure I was continuing my recovery at home. They established drive thru COVID testing so getting tested was quick, easy, and free. So, why only 4 stars? There is room for improvement. They sometimes take too long scheduling an appointment. Also, I've had to change primary doctors 3 times because the PCP I was using left Kaiser to go elsewhere. I've also had occasional problems with the mail order pharmacy, although that is improving.

2 years ago

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Nell Damascus, MD

Our experience with Kaiser Permanente in Cleaveland Ohio was incredible. We had young children and felt very well taken care of I felt they were cohesive between disciplines- it didn’t feel like insurance it felt like a medical support company who valued our children’s wellness. When we traveled out of state to MD instead of going to an ER for breathing treatments we went to a Kaiser Community and they handled everything in-house very efficiently. I wish my employer offered Kaiser now.

3 years ago

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Brad H Gilbert, AZ

I spent time reviewing many labs and medical personnel who work for Kaiser Permanente. This to me is an outstanding company with a business model which could be mirrored by other medical insurance companies. All of. the doctors and medical personnel are hired by Kaiser Permanente which helps to drive down the cost of. medical care by not having to pay for doctors and other hospital services in separate invoices. When you use the system as a patient all the various medical costs come to you in one bill and not many separate bills from different areas of the hospital. This allows Kaiser Permanente to accurately predict what your bill will be for a procedure vs other most insurance plans which cannot predict what the final price will be or if all the personnel in the hospital accept your private insurance. From a doctors point of view the system allows for easy conveyance of patient information by each doctor being required to submit their office number to the Kaiser Permanent system and any doctor wanting to relay message, such as a new malignant diagnosis, to another doctor can easily use the system.

3 years ago

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Morgan Knight Salt Lake City, UT

My family and I are so grateful for Kaiser! Kaiser was fundamental in guiding us through my daughters Autism diagnosis. They helped us every step of the way to make sure early intervention was available and affordable. They were amazing in providing resources and key in helping us get the best possible care for our daughter. Kaiser was also great when we had our second child during the pandemic! We are forever grateful for our experience with Kaiser!

3 years ago

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sexyj76 Fontana, CA

I love Kaiser! I have had them since I was a child in Los Angeles to being an adult now in Fontana. This is one place that I can say is worth the money. Between great and knowledgeable doctors and nurses, to their pharmacy and customer service. If I had an issue, it would get resolved quickly. And if I have a question that I ask through their app, I get an answer within 2 days. (Depending on the question and it not being an emergency

4 years ago

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Vicki Clearwater, FL

I was with them for years and I really loved them. All your doctors, hospital, tests, specialists and medications are Kaiser and in their facilities. You should check for your nearest Kaiser hospital/medical center first because most of your tests are done there. But being all in one it is incredibly easy to get everything you need done. The web site is also really good. You can check your appointments, test results, re-order prescriptions very easily.

4 years ago

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Linda Bonogofski Canby, OR

I really like my doctor at Kaiser. I always receive answers to my questions very quickly. She has a very conscience attitude toward me and I feel very comfortable with her and I value her advice. She is prompt to refer me to a specialist when needed and always refers me to a doctor who can really help me. I am looking forward to seeing her as soon as this COVID19 settles down. I also really appreciate the lab testing sets up for me as well. The lab people really know what they are doing and I have never been hurt when they draw blood.

4 years ago

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Adrianne murray Brigham City, UT

What can I say I was born at Kaiser 43 years ago. My oldest son was born there and I loved it. My parents both have Kaiser now when I moved to a state they did not have it I was very sad. It was my favorite to have everything basically together where you’re paying one fee and all the doctors work for one company. I loved the hospital. My parents have complained a little bit over the years as far as price is going up and that a lot of people have them but they still stay with them so that says a lot

4 years ago

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Eric San Diego, CA

I have been insured through Kaiser for about two years now. While health insurance in general is over priced in the US, Kaiser certainly makes it worth it. My primary care physician is great about making time to schedule an over the phone appointment and if she is not available to do an in patient appointment I am welcome to work with a different doctor.

6 years ago

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Jay Rallion

I've had the worst medical experience of my life with kaiser. I had chronic diarrhea for THREE MONTHS. I saw FOUR kaiser doctors and none of them helped me. It was as if they didn't care. Why do they go into this profession? Their 800# and customer service departments are useless. I went to ElSalvador on vacation ( I almost didn't go because of my diarrhea) and saw a gastroenterologist there and I was finally cute. SHAME ON KAISER!

8 months ago

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LuAnn Jalet Ellijay, GA

DO NOT GET KAISER PERMANENTE INSURANCE. This review is not for specific location; it’s for entire Kaiser system. Absolute worst patient service & care. Must go thru main call center for everything. Some representatives nice & helpful; many others rude & condescending. On 03/06/24 had bad accident. Went to 3 hospital ERs. 1st one nearest home 45-minutes away, 2nd Kaiser “Advanced Care” 90-minutes from home, not full-fledged ER, glorified Urgent Care. 3rd well-respected hospital, affiliated with Kaiser. Was examined, told I required surgery within 5 days. All together, took 14 hours & 300 miles driving. Luckily, wife was home when accident occurred. Scheduled appointment for 03/08 with Kaiser Ortho PA-C, which was cancelled as she called out sick. Must only have one at Town Park. Next closest Kaiser to me is 3 hours away, 6-hour round trip. Next available appointment March 26, 20 days after accident. Can’t call any doctor or department directly, must leave messages thru call center reps, who say call will be returned within 72 hours. That was 6 days after injury, 1 day after required surgery date & that’s to speak with someone, not for appointment or schedule surgery. Found out-of-Kaiser specialist at Emory, where Kaiser surgeons operate, who could see me 3/11 but not without Kaiser referral. Called Kaiser, 5th time, over 7 hours on phone. Requested referral. Was told they’d send message but takes 7-10 days for “Board Review.” Had virtual appt with a primary 3/8, which was worthless, nothing done. Able to see ortho nurse & PA 03/11, more X-rays, confirmed surgery needed. Ortho Surgeon called 3/11 evening, said surgery would on 03/13, 7 days after injury. Had surgery 03/13. Spoke with Anesthesiologist & Surgeon prior. Wife & parents in waiting room. Surgery est @ 90-minutes & Surgeon would call wife upon completion. 2-hours, no update, wife called outpatient area, told I was still in OR. Same after 2 ½ hours. 3 hours, nurse came into waiting area, wife asked her to check. She did & said I was in recovery. Wife asked to speak with Surgeon, he’d gone. Left surgery center not knowing how surgery went, how many plates, screws, etc. were used & surgeon’s prognosis. Surgery center nurses helpful & provided info, they were great & aren’t Kaiser employees. 5 hours after surgery, haven’t heard from surgeon. Update: After 5+ hours of phone calls to Kaiser, at 11:30 PM, finally got message to surgeon, who happened to be on call. He Called me, was apologetic, stating he had to run to next surgery, had been working 18+ hours! He was extremely kind & helpful & had called in my meds to Town Center Pharmacy. Now, 03/14, since an hour drive to Town Center, called pharmacy to be sure RXs were ready. The woman I spoke with was horrible, rude, mean, downright nasty person. Told me Pharmacist would not fill my pain meds since I already have pain meds for my back. Explained past 20 years being on pain meds for back, passing every drug test, don’t drink, smoke or taking recreational drugs & just had surgery, implanting metal plates & screws. I asked her to have Pharmacist call Surgeon. She said, “the Pharmacist is a doctor too and he’s not going to call the Surgeon or fill your prescription & she hung up on me!” Have been on phone & chat for past 5+ hours, going thru Kaiser system to get a message to my Surgeon. He finally received the message, returned my call, was disgusted by the woman from the Pharmacy, and upset with the Pharmacist. He will call the Pharmacist. To be continued…meanwhile I’m in severe pain. A person could have permanent damage or die before being seen & taken care of by Kaiser. Why pay astronomical prices for coverage to get none. Kaiser is only about making money. I’d be better off having no insurance. I didn’t know what to do - was scared, angry & worried, and still am that I may have limited mobility of my dominant right hand, wrist & arm. Please don’t get Kaiser. If you have Kaiser, cancel & purchase insurance that will actually cover you, especially in emergency situations. I plan to file a grievance.

8 months ago

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Michelle Thomas Anaheim, CA

I have used their new emergency facility and I love the care and how nice the ER is. They do needed tests and it is in a timely manner. They have polite and helpful staff, nurses and doctors. I recomend their Anheim ER.

1 year ago

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Joseph Tempe, AZ

Having Kaiser in So. Cal is very convenient as they have locations all over the place. The insurance is top notch as well, and I love that it is affordable. Plus, they are always so nice when I have an appointment.

1 year ago

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John Mill Federal Way, WA

I repeatedly find it impossible to access care at Kaiser Permanente. Their phone lines do not allow you to leave messages. They are only open during regular work day hours, and typically when I do get through to them they hang up on me, route me in the wrong direction, don't know how to book an appointment, or tell me they've booked an appointment but then aren't clear about where I should go physically on the day of the appointment, whether it's online or by phone, or what wing of the facility. Their online portal doesn't work on any of my browsers; it keeps saying log in has expired, and it's incredibly difficult to find the log in page in the first place. When I have made important appointments this year, including to take time off work for them, they have messed up their calendar system and not recorded my appointment, cancelling on me. Most recently this happened to get an MRI of my wrists that I landed on in a traumatic car-bicycle accident 7 years ago, which they also completely dropped the ball on at the time. (At the time, I had a PPO plan for Kaiser specifically). I have pretty bad adhd that makes it hard to get stuff done, so I spend my focal energy on trying to make a living instead of this stuff that doesn't work/ flakes out on me. But I have some serious medical issues I'm not getting addressed because of how complicated it is to get in contact with my medical providers. Something that has worked for me in the past has been having friends or family make calls for me. But they are also perplexed by the system. It's wild because I don't think I'm THAT dysfunctional. Kaiser's expectations of their user's ability to take on so much complex administrative burden seems extremely dysfunctional and inappropriate. I wish there were standards for medical access in the US. Kaiser would be shut down immediately if there were.

1 year ago

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Kad

Billing department. Never contacted me. Tried to pay bill online but it's not my insurance. Hospitals were full so ambulance has to take me to Kaiser. Staff was really nice and professional and I was really considering switching to them but after they sent me to collections, that won't be happening. I was able to send some payments online but I wrote a note staying I was on disability and would have to make payments when I can. I actually couldn't afford any payment but they didn't care and sent me to collections when my credit score was going up. So angry. Good old America. If you're rich, you can live but if you're poor...forget about it. I'll stick to my Pacific Source insurance

1 year ago

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Danelle Hoard Denver, CO

They have a great system going but they have no actual 24 hour urgent care facilities which sucks because to go to a regular ER the copay is 550.00 they need to have actual 24 hour facilities that will accept you at an affordable rate. It also sucks when they miss diagnos you for 5 months then end up have to have surgery. It's also considered discrimination when you are told you have to isolate and get a covid test before surgery only because your. Not vaccinated. Sorry we assumed you were vaccinated. Ummm ok last I checked there have been vaccinated people getting covid too. I don't mine getting tested I do mind being told I wouldn't have to be tested if I was vaccinated.

2 years ago

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Monique Sacramento, CA

Kaiser use to be good, but they have seriously went downhill. I been having so many issues with the providers how they do not want to listen and check you for health issues. I have asthma and the doctor wanted to just prescribe me so many meds which i am allergic to half of them. All i needed was to make sure my airways were open and maybe predisone. My daughter went in there for chest pains after she had the vaccine they said its normal u might have anxiety. My husband had an open incision that was done in er he went for a follow up appt and all the doctor did was glance at it and said ur fine. He asked for more gauze and he gave him 2 and said that should be enough and let me tell u this incision is deep where it will take almost 3 to 4 weeks to heal. My youngest was also born with asthma and she had a flare up they only allowed her to to a video appt and only prescribed her 2 prednisone pills which she usually has to take it for 5 days when she has a flare up. I am sorry but this is not ok especially we have really good insurance through my employer.

2 years ago

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Erica TX

Initially I loved Kaiser.. I've been a member since I was a child, and they were even a client of mine for 3 years when I assisted in staffing their healthcare professionals. Overall I had no negative experience, until recently! I have been on the same medication for 15 years and have conveniently refilled my prescription online with no issues. Ever since I relocated back to GA in 2018, it has been so difficult to get my medication, as they're making me schedule appointments with doctors every time I need a refill, and it's very inconvenient to keep taking time off work to speak with someone about a medication I've been on for over a decade. My parents, too, are fed up and are transferring healthcare providers after being with them for so long. It's quite upsetting and now here I am having to get off my birth control since they refuse to refill it unless I meet with an OBGYN. That is absurd considering 5 weeks ago I met with a doctor and had a pap smear and physical done... WHY DO I NEED ANOTHER APPOINTMENT??? This has been an ongoing issue since 2018, so you could imagine my frustration which led me to leave this review.

3 years ago

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Sweet Nouveau Palmdale, CA

Kaiser Permanente failed me yet again after gmover 20 years with them I have now realized I mean nothing to them except a digital number. I suffered over 12 hours in the emergency room over an issue that was already known. My dogs were treated better than myself and the others in the emergency room where those were screaming in pain. I live in Southern California , They are understaffed and under trained and I almost died. I went to urgent care triage but they sent me to the local hospital since there is no Kaiser hospital out here and I was put in line in emergency room with very sick other people. All I needed was pain medication and urgent attention. I am leaving Kaiser, they have proven over and over again they are overwhelmed and have taken up a majority of the illegal immigrants that are coming into this country . I have major Gastro issues and my doctor never even touched me to feel my stomach. What kind of doctor does it touch you? Beware of what is going on people and move on

3 years ago

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waynecloud Hawthorne, CA

Kaiser is 95% Bureaucracy--too bad because the care side the pencil pushers leave-- is wonderful. But, It takes 40 minutes to reach any of their call centers--on average--since Spring 2021. It takes about 30 days to get any appt with your Primary Care--so they send you to ER for anything much, and then you have to pay your hospital co-pay PLUS your monthly fee, to actually be seen or receive care--and the ER Dr.'s are grumpy about it. But the bureaucrats love it because your monthly coverage goes up by about 30% without any changes being made at all to your plan. You'll get your flu or covid shots at CVS long b/4 Kaiser offers them to you Your pharmacy will have serious delays and "issues"...If you travel much by the time you receive your refills you'll be out of town. But don't worry. Kaiser will send them to your nearest out-of-network pharmacy for 10 times the rate your contracted for under your plan. But once you are seen--if you push your way to a doctor-- you will love your doctors--at every level. The nurses are mostly grumpy though b/c...low staffing, budget cuts everywhere, blaming CoVid for hiring low wage nurses to replace the regular nurses, etc. etc. and lots of people sicker patients b/c the patients generally can't get through the hurdles in the system now to get to care...leads to unhappy/over-worked nurses. So sad, but it must be the way of socialized care a la Kaiser and E. Warren, right?

3 years ago

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Jacqueline Danielle Freeman Laurel, MD

I thought Kaiser was great in the beginning but over the years the service has gone way down hill. It’s very unfortunate. It’s almost impossible to get an appointment with your primary care physician and when you do the wait times are ridiculous. These doctors take their time filling out paperwork that’s important for us regular people to get jobs we need and so on. But they don’t care about that. I went to get blood taken from a 24 hour Kaiser which means I should be able to show up and get my blood drawn. Instead I had to wait 2 hours because they absolutely had know one there at 6:30 am but had no intentions on letting people know. It’s really bad service. I will be switching from Kaiser because it has gotten bad. It’s been so many bad experiences rather then good and I have been with them for years.

3 years ago

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Javon Denver, CO

The shipping and receiving department really does a great job of getting trucks in and out. Great customer service and I don’t say that very often. Josh really does and good job and value other peoples time.

3 years ago

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Rahim Sabadia Yorba Linda, CA

Excellent overall care. Very responsive and their online platform and tools make it very easy to keep track of appointments, lab results and communications with health care providers.

4 years ago

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Gonzalez Carmichael, CA

Amazing!! I love the ease of all services provided in under one roof. The doctors are great and professional. Theres is one or two problems but thats everywhere and you have control.

4 years ago

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Brendan Krafty Decatur, GA

Everything seemed to make this insurance the best, but it was too good to be true. I started to realize every doctor I was seeing (about 5) had this same grumpy careless attitude. As a result I never felt like I was receiving good care. The system and facilities themselves are great, as are the pharmacists and customer service people. Ultimately went back to a higher premium plan and at least I can now go to Emory and see the best docs in the country.

4 years ago

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Angela Colorado Springs, CO

Pharmacy: drug formulary complaint I am not sure who is in charge of my health, my doctor or my insurance? Kaiser recently required all members to use a Kaiser Pharmacy or Mail-Order Pharmacy instead of a local pharmacy. Gee thanks, that was helpful! Now that my prescription is in the mail-order pharmacy there is no one to talk to when my insurance (Kaiser) decided to no longer cover a medication. "It is no longer on our formulary". It has been a month and I still do not have this prescription, or any other that might take care of the condition. My doctor has prescribed a new prescription, has jumped through all of their "authorization hoops" and still nothing. DO NOT USE KAISER IF YOUR HEALTH DEPENDS ON YOUR MEDICATIONS! My medical condition does not just sit on "hold" while Kaiser tries to unscramble a formulary or approve my Dr's prescription. The system is broken. I can only thank God that my condition is not life or death- I have a feeling others are dying- PLEASE FIX THIS PART OF YOUR PROCESS/ SYSTEM!

5 years ago

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Mimi Fresno, CA

Kaiser Insurance is great as long as you’re a healthy adult but it is COMPLETE TRASH if you need specialized care that’s not offered in their network or have kids that need urgent pediatric care. If your kids get sick and need to go to a pediatric ER or hospital (WHICH IS HIGHLY LIKELY BECAUSE KIDS GET SICK) even if you first take your kid to Kaiser’s urgent care/ER and get transferred/referred to a pediatric hospital under the advisement of a KAISER doctor, YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY THE OUT OF NETWORK charges for that pediatric hospital. I was under the impression that our ER co-pay was $250 but instead I’m paying 3x as much because Kaiser does not have a pediatric ER department and does not cover out of network care despite their doctor sending us out of network. Thank goodness my baby did not need an overnight stay or further intensive care because even though we have KAISER insurance and pay $600 in monthly premiums, we would go bankrupt. Healthcare in the US is trash overall but while we’re still under this system, I will be switching health insurance for my family ASAP (at open enrollment or if we get find new jobs, whichever comes first.)

5 years ago