Orange County Register

 43 Comments

• Cliff says:

  November 21, 2008 at 9:00 am

  That’s odd my medical group is rated as one of the top in the nation (Edinger Medical) yet overall Cigna is rated poor. I have had no issues myself with Cigna at all. I’m really surprised to see Kaiser at the top of the list. I have heard they try to cut costs pretty heavily & sometimes at patient expense. However I know there technology is top notch in the country.
• demaam says:

  November 21, 2008 at 9:13 am

  I have Kaiser and have always been happy with them. Their plans are great…more costly than other providers, but I feel it’s definately worth it
• HotChick says:

  November 21, 2008 at 9:24 am

  Kaiser is a complete joke! They charge so much for their copays and it’s not just one you pay for. You pay 25.00 each for bloodwork, physical and mammogram! It’s pathetic! That alone keeps me from seeing a doctor or having health insurance period!
• Tom says:

  November 21, 2008 at 9:39 am

  My company just went through open enrollment for 2009. In the past we had many choices for our medical. However this year we were told we would have Aetna. Great to see that your company didn’t do the research to see how they rated before signing up with them
• Paula says:

  November 21, 2008 at 9:41 am

  Kaiser is the best~ I just had a baby about 2 months and Kaiser was the best~ My sister had a baby last yet at Edinger Medical and they were bad the rooms were drity etc…. All I know is I love Kaiser when I was Kaiser was the worse but now they are the BEST~
• Astera says:

  November 21, 2008 at 9:43 am

  HotChick,

  The costs of preventative care through Kaiser, or any other health insurance, are far less than the costs of actually getting sick. I’ve been insured by Kaiser almost my whole life. During that time, I’ve had six collapsed lungs, which required X-rays, chest tubes, and surgery, an appendectomy, and a uterine fibroid removed. Oh, and I also had non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, so I had to have chemo and radiation. All this, and I am 32 years old. Believe me, the $25 co-pays I’ve paid don’t add up to anywhere near what all this treatment would have cost me had I not had insurance.

  I believe the health care system needs to be reformed. But people who don’t have insurance are one of the reasons costs go up for everyone. Also, preventative care is important. A mammogram that catches cancer early so it can be removed with a lumpectomy, for instance, is much less expensive than a double mastectomy, chemo, and radiation once the cancer has spread.

  You’re not doing yourself any favors by trying to scrimp on $25 co-pays. You only get one body–try taking care of it.
• mark says:

  November 21, 2008 at 9:47 am

  I have kaiser and it has never been easier for me. I am able to email my Doctor and get responses. My company provided health plan makes me pay $40 a visit but it’s a hell of a lot better than no insurance, on top of that Kaisers website is really helpful and easy to use.
• MB says:

  November 21, 2008 at 9:48 am

  I love Kaiser and have been with them for all but 2 years of my life (I am in my 30’s). I tried Blue Shield PPO and after my husband had an emergency apendectomy, I thought the bills would never stop–even after I hit all limits for the year! What still puts Kaiser on top is that you know what to expect (monetarily & wait time at ER’s). My husband could have been very ill or died from a ruptured appendix due to an expected/quoted wait time in a local ER of over 18 hours! Kaiser would have been about 2-4 hrs. After 4 hours and extreme worsening of his condition, I took my husband to another hospital after calling around. I’m aware of similar and worse stories about Kaiser, but I have been fortunate with the quality of care and doctors since my birth.
• Lisa says:

  November 21, 2008 at 9:49 am

  Kaiser is the best!! My mother had gone to Kaiser just before being diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer in 2007. After seeing how well they cared for her during her illness… I switched at the beginning of this year. I’m glad that I did… I just had to have my gall bladder out and they got me my referrals and surgery very quickly and took very good care of me.

  P.S. HotChick… if your co-pays are high… that’s due to your employer not wanting to pick up the tab for a better plan. My doctor visits are $15, my meds are $10 and even my outpatient surgery was only a $15 co-pay.
• joe H. says:

  November 21, 2008 at 9:52 am

  We treat a number of Kaiser patients as well as many
  other insurance patients.

  Kaiser’s patient are the most happiest with services and
  doctors that treat them.
• Cliff says:

  November 21, 2008 at 10:00 am

  Damn, maybe I should move to Kaiser, it’s one of the choices in our plans. But I’ll have to wait till next year.
• Down Jones says:

  November 21, 2008 at 10:02 am

  Gave up on HMO’s a long time ago. PPO’s are the only way to go.
• Down Jones says:

  November 21, 2008 at 10:03 am

  Every person I’ve ever talked to says Kaiser is the worst.
• JJ says:

  November 21, 2008 at 10:05 am

  I use to have GREAT experiences at Kaiser. However, for over 1 1/2 yrs we have been trying to find a diagnosis for my young daughters hand. She is in constant pain! They cannot find what is wrong with her hand and their Medical Review and Independent Medical Review processes have denied us the option of going to outside Kaiser because they state care is available “inside of plan”. But when asked “where” they can’t provide anything to us. We have been lost in their system more than once. Good Luck
• JDJ says:

  November 21, 2008 at 10:09 am

  I switched jobs this year and HMO’s. From Kaiser to Anthem Blue Cross. I have taken my son off Blue Cross, back to Kaiser, and currently trying to take my wife off blue corss to Kaiser. Me or my wife cannot stand Anthem Blue Cross. We much prefer Kaiser. They just seem to care more. It may just be our doctors under Anthem, so we may switch doctors.
• ocresident2 says:

  November 21, 2008 at 10:09 am

  most people that i work with either love or hate kaiser, myself i used kaiser 15 years ago and wasn’t that impressive at all but the last two year i’ve switched back to kaiser again, and i tell ya they’ve really impress me with their service and efficiency, how cool is that you can e-mail your own dr. and check all your past visit history and your own health record, lab test etc.
• mirian says:

  November 21, 2008 at 10:10 am

  I Love Kaiser they are the best, you dont have to wait long hours on regular visits or ER my co-pay is only $15.00 the doctors are the best they gave my baby books to read. Is worth it because they care for their patients.
• akarae says:

  November 21, 2008 at 10:16 am

  I’m VERY happy with Kaiser. Their website is phenomenal. I was recently diagosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I can have blood work done in the morning and get the results on the website that same afternoon. I can also email my doctor with questions and she will usually respond within 24 hours.
• Elizabeth says:

  November 21, 2008 at 10:18 am

  I have had Kaiser insurance for more than 10 years and have been very happy with them. My friend talked me over into changing to PPO for one year, and I paid twice as much for everything and got less services. I was happy to change back to Kaiser at the end of that year, and am not changing any time in the future. They have quite good preventive services, plus with PPO my doctors were constantly moving and I had 3 doctors in that PPO year (since the first 2 moved more than 15 miles from my home within a couple months of seeing them).
• John says:

  November 21, 2008 at 10:31 am

  I work for Kaiser for many years and I can tell you there had been many major reforms inside. Health Care delivery, Information systems, staffing and etc. It seems that we are heading in the right direction and oh by the way I pay $5 dollars copay for EVERYTHING.

  Hotchick. 25 co pay is set by your employer who doesn’t want to pay too much money to HMO organization. Find another employer or stop whining. It is not Kaiser’s fault
• Dave Kiser says:

  November 21, 2008 at 10:47 am

  My Step Father had Kaiser through the City of Anahieim.
  He was a retired Fireman/Paramedic.

  He went in for an operation in March at the Anaheim, Lakeview Facility.
  He died in august, without ever comming home.

  He got 4 different Hospital aquired infections.

  They had put him in a cae facility, where the Paramedics were called.

  He was taken by the Fire Dept to a non-HMO hospital, Chapman Hospital, where they immediatly diagnosed him with a major sepic infection, MRSA.

  This MRSA infection was not diagnosed by Kaiser.

  He was transfered to the new Kaiser facility in Irvine, on Alton.

  He never regained consiousness and died of the MRSA.

  On his Death Certificate, his death is atributed to Kidney and Liver failure; with no mention of the root cause..MRSA

  Kaiser covered up his cause of death, and what had happened to him while under their care.

  His operation was fine, but his Post OP care caused his death, and the end to his and my mothers plans.

  My point, and the bottom line is this….

  There is no real oversite, and no effort to eliminate Hospital aquired infections. And no real true and complete data is being collected with the intent of actually solving the problems.

  Their focus is profit, not patients.

  These Health Care Ratings are all smoke and mirrors.
• Rose says:

  November 21, 2008 at 10:47 am

  I was born in a Kaiser hospital, and was able to use my mother’s Kaiser insurance until I was 23, even though I was already working and was able to get my own insurance. I have NEVER had a problem in a Kaiser office. I love the fact that there’s no paperwork; if you need a lab, it’s down the hall - not in some other building across the street. Need to see a specialist? They’re probably in the same building as well.

  None of my employers have ever offered Kaiser, so I haven’t had it since, but I do miss it. Oh, I do have Anthem, and I am not surprised they only received 2 stars.
• shotkill says:

  November 21, 2008 at 11:48 am

  HotChick Says:
  Kaiser is a complete joke! They charge so much for their copays and itâ??s not just one you pay for. You pay 25.00 each for bloodwork, physical and mammogram! Itâ??s pathetic!

  WHAT???
  I have had kaiser for years, I have NEVER paid for ANY tests…..EVER.
  $25 for dr. visits, and that’s it!

  Please do not listen to “Hotchick”, she is WRONG.
• caseclosed says:

  November 21, 2008 at 11:53 am

  We have Aetna and each month my wife’s prescription is turned down and we have a 4 or 5 day fight as she has been on this med. for 6 years then they OK it for one year and the next month it is the same thing. It has been this way for the last year. Our doctors say Aetna is the worst they work with.
• Kat says:

  November 21, 2008 at 12:04 pm

  I Love Kaiser.. I only pay ONE co-pay, when I check in at the doctors, not any additional fees EVER, infact I had went toeh ER room and had to get admitted to the hsopital and the co-pay went towards that bill. I have never paid for bloodwork or testing . The person who is getting charged so much may want to check into that… she is totally wrong.. and if being charged that .. should not be
• Lisa says:

  November 21, 2008 at 12:17 pm

  My husband and I had Kaiser and were quite happy with it — until I almost bled to death while giving birth at their Anaheim hospital (their fault). One month later, my brother almost died under their care and had to be rushed to Cedar Sinai where they had to do 3 major surgeries post haste. While Kaiser was hemming and hawing about his care, he almost died. It was almost like they (the physicians) were all rookies studying a science project. He is lucky to be alive today — and he’s a young guy. Kaiser is good for preventative medical attention, but I’m not so sure about the rest.
• Dave Kiser says:

  November 21, 2008 at 1:01 pm

  I had Kaiser for 13 years, from 1980 to 1993.
  I now have it again.

  It’s great insurance, and very convient….as long as you are healthy, and just need it for colds, flu and minor things.

  When it comes to major health issues, you can find yourself in real trouble if you have Kaiser insurance.

  It’s for poor people, bottom of the barrel, insurance.
• HappyKaiserPatient says:

  November 21, 2008 at 1:50 pm

  Hotchick - Actually, your co-pay for Kaiser depends on what type of HMO coverage you select. I have $10 co-pays for office, lab and pharmacy. The lower your co-pays the higher the monthly payment is.
• ThisIsNotAnExit says:

  November 21, 2008 at 2:19 pm

  Kaiser sucks. Took them three weeks to get a cast put on my daughter.

  HealthNet sucks. They will not cover most things I need.

  Pacificare is beyond awesome! I wish I had them.
• Sweethoney says:

  November 21, 2008 at 2:32 pm

  I must say I have read everyone comments, I have to truley say that I’ve been with Kaiser for 28 years, just had my grandson born their very pleasent enviornment again, I was at a point that I’m getting older an needs more expert advance, my choice was UCI physican put not with the issues I see here. for most of us we should be glad we all have health insurance, some people go without.
• Wuzagi says:

  November 21, 2008 at 3:01 pm

  The amount you pay for lab, office visits, prescriptions, etc. is not determined by Kaiser, but by your employer’s plan and how much they pay for each employee. Up until a few years ago, I paid $2 office visits and $1 for each prescription. As a trade-off for increased retirement benefits, it was upped to $15 office visits and $10 prescriptions. I’ve been a Kaiser member since I was a kid under my dad’s plan. I’ve had 4 surgeries and my daughter was born in a Kaiser hospital. I have the most wonderful personal physician and have always received the best care and service. It’s no surprise to me that Kaiser is ranked #1.
• RPS says:

  November 21, 2008 at 3:11 pm

  “It’s for poor people, bottom of the barrel, insurance”

  I have the money to pay for my company’s “premium” PPO through Blue Cross/Blue Sheild and when I actually had an emergency, they denied the entire claim. Every penny. So much for the top tier insurance plan–I was stuck with a 10K bill for less than 24 hours of care.

  I am now on the “bottom of the barrel” plan with Kaiser and have never seen a bill. I wanted to see a specialist to get a second opinion on a rare heart condition out-of-network. I first consulted my cardiologist at Kaiser who was more than willing to hear that specialist’s opinion. I paid for the out-of-network consult and my Kaiser doctor has followed that specialist’s advice and I am now doing great. I never have to worry about approvals for tests–have had tons of cardiac testing done and never worried that the facility was out-of-network or that the testing would be deemed “unneccessary” and go unpaid for. They were open-minded about following a treatment plan by another doctor and I feel well cared for. I am thankful every day that I had the choice of going with a different plan. Nothing is perfect but I feel that I am getting the best care for my money.
• Not Even says:

  November 21, 2008 at 5:45 pm

  ThisIsNotAnExit - PacifiCare was the best of all until United Health Care bought them. Saddest of sad stories.
• mstrietzel says:

  November 21, 2008 at 6:34 pm

  If a person has a problem with “Dr. Joe” that works out of Hoag Hospital he complains about “Dr. Joe” not the medical plan.
  If a person has a problem with “Dr. Joe” a Kaiser MD he complains about Kaiser not the MD.
  Love Kaiser!
• Dina says:

  November 21, 2008 at 6:38 pm

  Kaiser is only good if you never get sick. If you do every really get sick you will not get state of the art medicine, but what ever is cheapest.
• CJY says:

  November 21, 2008 at 8:18 pm

  I got outstanding care 10 years ago at Kaiser (Fontana) for breast
  cancer. They saved my life and gave me wonderful and caring treatment.
• peggy says:

  November 21, 2008 at 9:10 pm

  Anthem Blue Cross should be prosecuted for fraud - they routinely delay payment by saying thing are missing on forms…until I call. They just deny payment and wait for my complaint. In the last year they have not paid one thing I have submitted until I call to find out what is taking so long. Then, they say, “Oh, you didn’t give us the tax payer ID” and I say, “Yes, I did…” and the rep will suddenly be able to see it magically appear where it was there the whole time. It is a racket and should cost them. People who complain about $25 co-pays are nuts. Try paying hundreds of dollars at the point of service and having to wait 6 months to get reimbursed!
• nomasillegals says:

  November 22, 2008 at 12:35 am

  Kaiser is THE absolute worst insurance I have ever had. I can’t get an appointment to see my doctor, unless I want to wait a month. When I say that I cannot wait a month, they offer an appointment with a “Physician Assistant”, which will still cost me $50.00 (copay). If I’m going to see an “Almost Doctor”, I think I should get a 50% discount on my copay. I think the main problem with Kaiser is that they have too many patients and not enough organization. I have seriously considered leaving Kaiser and having no insurance at all. Yes, Kaiser is that bad.
• LH says:

  November 22, 2008 at 5:40 am

  i have $5.00 copays for er,office, specialty and pharmacy. i hardly get sick, when i do, i go to garden grove outpatient urgent care and i wait longer for my prescription than i do to be seen and treated. i love it. my mom works at lakeview (kaiser ins for employees and all dependents is free)and they have saved my dad’s life at least 3 times, and saved my sisters life when she was diagnosed with a rare blood infection at the age of 3, and her emergency appy. they called me yesterday, i havent been to the doctors like in 8 mons, and told me i was due 4 a physical. and set me up with an appt. they’re very attentive, and effecient.

  EVERY hospital is dripping with MRSA. its like in the air, you have to be very careful, people with open wounds are very likey to catch it, when in a hospital try not to rub your eyes or touch your face, and ALWAYS wash your hands after you touch something. rules of the land
• Jill says:

  November 22, 2008 at 9:37 am

  We currently have United Health Care PPO and have been very happy with them.

  As a child, my parents had Kaiser, and I’m pretty sure that I was switched at birth….
• Edgar Friendly says:

  November 25, 2008 at 7:20 pm

  I’ve had Kaiser for probably the last 17-18 years, and have never, ever, had an unpleasant experience. I had 2 high risk pregnancies, both of which were fabulously managed by Kaiser - 1 at Hollywood, and 1 at Anaheim/Lakeview . Earlier this year, I developed a gallbladder infection, and was seen, tested, diagnosed and treated, all within a maximum 8 hour period - from the initial doctor visit to the actual surgery to remove the gallbladder. Kaiser has never fussed with me about a prescription, refused to change a prescription that doesn’t work, or not provided needed medication or medical device (wrist brace, etc.). By contrast, my stepfather had Cigna, was prescribed a medication that he wound up being allergic to, and he had to petition for over a week to get the prescription changed and a new one approved. A friend of mine has Blue Cross, and blew out her knee - Blue Cross finally (after appeals) agreed to provide her with a knee brace, but refused to provide the padding, security strap or the hinge to enable her to walk - they stated that these were not medically necessary…hhhmmm….
• Karen says:

  December 2, 2008 at 12:40 pm

  shotkill Says:
  November 21st, 2008 at 11:48 am
  HotChick Says:
  Kaiser is a complete joke! They charge so much for their copays and itâ??s not just one you pay for. You pay 25.00 each for bloodwork, physical and mammogram! Itâ??s pathetic!

  WHAT???
  I have had kaiser for years, I have NEVER paid for ANY tests…..EVER.
  $25 for dr. visits, and that’s it!

  Please do not listen to “Hotchick”, she is WRONG.

  I also have Kaiser. I stayed away from it for years because I heard bad things, so I have been throught the mill with HMO’s.
  Kaiser saved my husband’s life when he had a heart attack. He was taken to a non Kaiser hospital, the Kaiser surgeon met the ambulance there and he was in surgery within 43 minutes of his chest pain beginning.
  We never received a bill, Kaiser took care of everything. Our med copays are $5 and visits are $15. I will never go anywhere else.
• patty says:

  December 23, 2008 at 10:36 pm

  blue shield of california won’t take you if you have ANYTHING wrong with you so don’t waste the time filling out the long application, just look else where. i also have a friend who is completely healthy but was flat out turned down by blue cross of ca because his height weight ratio is 2 % above what they accept– he’s not fat, he’s just short and has a bit of a gut… and i have another friend who had blue cross raise her rate 50% because she had bad acne and was told if the acne cleared up, in 6 mos they would reduce her rates– they never did even though it did clear up! ble cross of california only wants healthy people in insure so they just take $ in without any going out!!! they are one of the reasons healthcare is screwed up in this country