It’s our guess that most Kaiser Permanente members aren’t aware that Kaiser was run out of Texas like a stray dog with its tail between its legs, but that is about to change, thanks to Vickie Travis and The Kaiser Papers:
In 1997 the State of Texas, Division of Insurance took formal action against Kaiser Permanente. This action and the resultant Kaiser ceasing of conduct was the start of serious financial concerns for the Permanente.
This information is just as relevant as the Nixon tapes are. Do not allow anyone to try to tell you differently.
This is one of the key actions that resulted in numerous patient deaths, for the next several years.
In this instance Kaiser had been found to be deceiving the public, harming the public and endangering the public and the people of Texas did not like it. The standard Kaiser excuse of poverty just didn’t work for them in Texas. The people of Texas also have a very long memory.
The State of Texas has provided to us the documents showing why the Insurance Commissioner took the steps that he did, what he did and what Kaiser had to do. I wish that the state of California would do something solid like this instead of being a bunch of wishy, washy fools.
The text version leads on the following page. Following the text are the actual documents. Again why can’t California be grown up enough to do the same?
OH I love it. $1 million dollar fine for an administrative penalty! The State of California needs to have such a backbone!
Yeah, where has California been when you need em.’
Is California even aware of this? I’m glad Texas knows
the difference between right and wrong.
btw, I like that little “click on the broccoil to view the
documents.” I’ll never look at broccoli the same again.
Go texas.
I have no choice except Kaiser. I could write a two volume book of their wrongs, omissions, downright lies – all killing me and two of my friends. Don’t expect them to tell you the TRUTH about lab and x-ray results. They are all in cahoots. If they see something ‘expensive and time consuming’ about your complaints, they either tell you the results are within normal range.’ Or, they tell you it’s in your head and maybe you should see a shrink (also in cahoots). When you ask for copy of your records, that’s where the omissions and CHANGES reveal themselves. You have nothing with which to prove your claim. So you become anxious and depressed; Kaiser loves that. Oh, “Mrs. Smith’ just suffers from major anxiety disorder; nothing else is wrong with her. My friend went through this to the point where she literally gave up and died after went blind because they gave the wrong medication. But of course they say not. Please get California realize this. Kaiser harms, Kaiser kills.
I was in Texas at the time when Kaiser was kicked out. About the best thing that the AG Dan Morales did there.
Funny enough, they still have a call center in Fort Worth, but are going to move it.
I’m sorry to hear this. I’ve lived in California for 40 years but think it’s gone down the tubes. I was thinking of moving back to Texas where I’m originally from, but I’m very happy with my Kaiser plan out here and would hate to have to give it up.
With Kaiser, I’ve paid only dollars for health care exams, tests, medicines, even surgery, throughout the years that would have cost me hundreds of thousands of dollars by now. The care has been mostly good. I haven’t liked everything or everyone I’ve encountered in Kaiser, but everyone I’ve ever talked to who has a different plan finds flaws in their plan. I’ve heard horror stories from Kaiser, Blue Cross, Secure Horizons, you name it. Heard good stories, too. The main that stands out about having Kaiser is that your health care costs will never bankrupt you.
In so many ways I’d like to move back to Texas – – but not without Kaiser or something similar.
I had Kaiser for about 8-years as an employee with the state of GA. I have to say that I was never impressed with the GP-type doctors at the Kaiser healthcare facilities. Fortunately, I don’t have chronic health problems. I scheduled an appointment with a Kaiser dermatologist for a spot on my nose and the diagnosis was basal cell carcinoma. Kaiser rallied in superior style and provided specialists and surgery. I couldn’t have wished for anything different, no complaints from me there. The plastic surgery I needed was perfect. Their administrative department, however, is pathetic. I do think that Kaiser doesn’t like to release medical records. I have AFLAC insurance and Kaiser could never produce the post-operative report that AFLAC needed to process my claim. I tried for over two years and never got it. They happily sent dozens of the pre-operative report. Kaiser’s admin staff would definitely benefit with some retraining to recognize a pre-op versus a post-op report. Or, maybe Kaiser doesn’t create follow-up reports. Hmm…
I have a friend who has Kaiser insurance and her health was going downhill fast. She reached a point where she could hardly function. Her Kaiser primary provider (GP) kept adjusting her blood pressure meds and giving her anxiety medication. Her doctor wasn’t available one day when, once again, her blood pressure soared and then bottomed-out. A PA read her records and scheduled a kidney test. She had kidney cancer. Once again, Kaiser jumped into service. Her specialists and surgeons were great and attentive. My friend is doing pretty well right now and sings Kaiser’s praises. Thanks to a Kaiser physician’s assistant.
I’m in Texas now. I googled ‘Kaiser Texas’ and this website appeared. So, here’s my $.02.
Kaisers in California have stricter compliance regulations than most other states. The Kaiser Employees/Doctors/Nurses/Administrators, etc, make the difference on the success or failure of their organization. Like any other business. Do some homework before you commit to an HMO/PPO, and any health/hospital plan. Majority of the time the people that were misdiagnosed, NEGLECTED to inform the medical staff of any or all medical/health issues (pre-existing or suspected conditions) that might affect their treatment. Due to their Medical/Health Coverage patients conceal those ailments/diseases, which contributed or most likely be the cause of their unimproved conditions or their deaths.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!! LESSON THE RISK OF MISDIAGNOSIS!!! IT’S YOUR CHOICE!!! EDUCATE YOURSELF & INVOLVE YOURSELF IN YOUR TREATMENT!!!!
Cite your source, please.
I have a friend whose retirement insurance is Kaiser. Are there any Kaiser Hospitals near San Antonio?
I am looking to move to Texas. My mother has Kaiser, we live in California. Does Texas have Kaiser Hospitals, Medical Centers etc.?
Thank you
Not if you’re lucky
I retired to North Texas last fall from Northern California to be with grandchildren in Texas. My wife and I truly miss the care we received from Kaiser North. Our children were born there in the 1970s, and we’ve had excellent care–routine and emergency–since then. Only once did my wife feel compelled to pursue peer review where she felt that our primary care physician was a barrier to specialist care. She won and was referred to the specialist w/ no repercussions.
Our first visit to a primary care provider in North Texas about 5 months ago was marked by an undertone of contempt when we mentioned that our records were in Kaiser. With Kaiser, they were readily accessible via KPs Intranet. Here, there is an antiquated process for obtaining records, and “Hippa” laws are proclaimed as preventing the ready transfer of patient medical records between providers.
Oh well…
The undertone of contempt was deserved. HIPAA laws don’t prevent the transfer of patient records between providers with consent, but KAISER does everything in its power to pervert and abuse the privacy laws for its own benefit. They take many months to comply with outside records requests, which are routinely ignored and misplaced. Also, you’d better hope there’s nothing in there that incriminates Kaiser, because those records will magically disappear faster than you can say “abracadabra”.
with all organizations there are good & bad, my dad has had some real idiots as primary care doctors here in so calif, as for my self on the otherhand, I have been absoulutley pleased to no end with the great care I receive. thought I had heart attack several years ago, after all the tests arteries were clear, determined I was under too much stress, take a little pill every morning & all is well, blew out my knee kaiser fixed it, blew out my back doing something stupid, kaiser fixed it, was feeling bad, they did not quit until they found leukemia, the had a kidney stone, and the urologist was extremely thourgh, and found a tumor on the other kidney, sadly it is cancerous and is scheduled to be removed. so overall I’m keeping kaiser, they are fantastic….
It seems that a website presenting fair facts and examples wouldn’t take action to express opinions in response to comments. An opinion really doesn’t matter. Provide facts as to why it may be likely you’ll have a problem or be respectable and refrain from commenting on comments.
Get your own blog, Benji.
Kaiser Permanente is not the Evil Empire nor is it the benchmark of best practices. I worked for KP Oakland and San Francisco and have been a member for 30 years. I’ve been shocked and tremendously grateful. You MUST take responsibility for managing your care. You must be proactive. Quality of care can vary greatly between doctors, regions and facilities. I’ve fired a couple of doctors and lamented the loss of others. I’ve laid down the law and put myself at their mercy. It’s very complex and they’re people — you can get a great plumber or a crook and it’s the same in medicine. I pay my own premiums and they’re pretty damn high but major hospitalization is worth years of premiums. The problem is the system of medicine in this country — we must have MAJOR reform.
I was under the care of KP in Plano, Tx for several years, was diagnosed with severe illness which most Dr.’s today admit would not have been detected were it not for the amazing diagnostic ability of my physician. The team of surgeons that performed the surgery were skillful and saved my life. I’m sure there are many horror stories, but our little outpost in Plano was wonderful, sorry to have seen it leave.
Maybe there’s a difference between Kaiser complexes or locations, but the care at the Kaiser Permamente location in Panorama City, California, is the best I’ve received anywhere. My doctors even nag me to come in for tests and examinations, and, as an HMO through Medicare, my appointments cost me only $5.00. I’d like to move back to Texas, but can’t without something similar to turn to.
I took my wife to Kaiser med center, Roseville California for a kidney stone 12/10, the doctor sent her home 2.5 days later septic, she was admitted to the ER the following morning with the assesment ‘severe sepsis with ARDS’ and died 5.5 weeks later after brutal suffering. The ICU doctor at the end was instrumental in protecting Kaiser from a lawsuit and ‘guided’ the autopsy to reflect that Kaiser may not have been responsible for this disaster. I know what happened, I was in the ICU every day except for 2 days out of 6 weeks. When I took her to the hospital there was nothing else wrong with her except a kidney stone. The fact that a ‘fixer’ was put in at the end makes me convinced that this is a more common occurrence than we are led to believe. Don’t underestimate Kaiser even though you may walk in, there is a chance you will be carried out. Kaiser is a dangerous organization, after my experience I would advise anyone to stay away unless there is no choice.
Now you can get your medical record on disc for $15.00. I plan on doing it at least yearly so that I will have proof of changes. The changes in medical records are real. In the electronic record format, providers can see changes, but I don’t think that they transfer to the patient’s copy.
Using the EMR makes it easy for docs to say they’ve covered everything even if in reality they didn’t. All the charts by certain providers have the same phrases to cover their asses.
KP saved my husbands life where the county hospital would have let him slip away. Then they discovered prostate cancer. They did everything to give him many extra years of life, over 12. then it went rampant and got into the bones….we are very thankful for the extra time and for the excellent care they gave him the entire time. I have had KP since 1975. I have no complaints other than old dr who should have retired. But the others on staff recognized that and took great care of me in childbirth. I have KP and they count my medicare as secondary. I am back and forth from TX to CA and thought I could change over to TX if I moved there permanent but now I wonder if there are close locations for care near Austin or Waco.
And CA problem is the state government and federal government. The new medical plans that have yet to be approved are already being used cause they were told they had to start the changeover right away…..really messed up the good plan that most of us had with KP.
I pay as a member but got no service, since it there policy to bury you alive and there are professionals at doing this at KP hawaii.
hired guns for any insurance companiess
Being a member of K.P.in So. Cal, can I use K.P. IN TEXAS? Does anyone know? Ron
I worked for them and they killed my 14 year old daughter. Sent her home Septic.
I have always had Kaiser , that’s the only thing that stops me from moving to texas. while in texas I got sick they would accept Kaiser insurance, it was either cash .I think the problem with texas is that they the religious hospitals hate competing, with more cost effective competitors.
As a young physician I was moonlighted in the walk in Kaiser clinic several times Dallas on Greenville and LBJ in 1996-1997. The stories I heard and the patient management I witnessed were completely unethical. Things I would never have dreamed of in terms of patient care. The full time doctors were somehow incentivized or received punitive treatment if they sent patients to hospital ER’s or referred patients for expensive surgical evaluations. Patients with ruptured discs failing non surgical management progressing to radiculopathy, not being referred for surgery, showing up in the walk in clinic – where I was happy to write a referral to the neurosurgeon. Patients with diabetic ketoacidosis, renal failure and chest pain being sent to the walk in clinic by staff doctors for “IV fluids” when they needed to be seen in an ER and placed in an ICU.
I had a look behind the curtain at what Kaiser is all about and it was all about cost containment and not spending money. Thank God they were kicked out of Texas.
Patrick Sweeney MD