Kaiser Permanente Complaint - Awful - Everything

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-03-30:

Helping to diagnosis over the telephone is not always bad. I appreciated when my pediatricians' office asked a lot of questions to determine if I needed to come in or should wait and see. Of course, there are times when a child must be seen right away, but I trusted my pediatricians and their employees to give me good advice. If I thought they were wrong, however, I would insist on an appointment, which was never a problem because they trusted my opinion, as well.

Posted by Prince-Caesar on 2011-03-30:

Have you called around at other doctor's offices? If it gets worse, I would take him/her to the ER

Posted by fkaiser on 2011-03-30:

i took her to the ER. but I've had more than one bad experiences with kaiser cant change insurance at work yet that's why i still have them

Posted by CrazyRedHead on 2011-03-30:

We have a convenient care clinic here at the local hospital where you go if it isn't an emergency. If I were to go to the ER with a non emergency issue then they would turn you away and send you there. If you go to the clinic and it turns into an emergency type problem then they take you over to the ER which is down the hall. They work hand in hand and it is a very good program. It cuts down on the wait in the ER for real emergencies. Before this started the wait would be almost 6-8 hours at the ER due to parents thinking that a stuffy nose was an emergency.

Posted by fkaiser on 2011-03-30:

I know the difference between a stuffy nose and s high fever unfortunately kaiser doesn't send u to a clinic. I pay allot for my insurance and if i feel like my daughter needs to be seen asap the nurse has no rite to tell i cant go to Er.. i took her and she ended up with ear infections i wouldnt take my kid to the er for a stuffy nose or cough

Posted by momsey on 2011-03-30:

The nurse telling you not to go to the ER likely had more to do with what your insurance would cover rather than her telling you how to care for your daughter. Obviously, you are the parent and you make the ultimate decisions for your child, but depending on the situation, your insurance may not pay for the visit to the ER if it's not deemed a true emergency.

Posted by bluediamond98 on 2011-03-30:

I think it has less to do with Kaiser and more to do with the doctor's office. ANY day I call my pediatrician for an appointment that day, I get one. You may need to find a larger practice to work with that has more flexible availability. Nothing's worse than seeing a little one suffer.

Posted by gobabyglo on 2011-03-30:

Kaiser has Urgent Care centers in my area. They are for those illnesses or injuries that are not serious enough for the emergency room and no appointment is needed. Are there any of these in your area.

Posted by fkaiser on 2011-03-30:

@ momsey my ins. Covers it even if i had to pay idc like blue diamond said theres nothing worst than seeing ur child suffer...

Posted by Skye on 2011-03-30:

You don't have to use the Kaiser medical centers you know. Find a pediatrician that you like and are comfortable with, as well as your child, and make your appointments with the pediatricians office. Look in your Kaiser book for a pediatrician.

Posted by Nicole29 on 2011-03-30:

Anyone who has had an ear infection in the past, and anyone with a child who has had it knows how very painful it is. I STILL remember getting an ear infection at 5 years old, and how awful it was. It's not something you can just wait around for, until your doctor is available.

I would have gone to one of those Urgent Care places, instead of the ER, but that's a shame your doctor turned you away. Time to find a new insurance. Thanks for sharing.

Posted by rob on 2011-07-01:

Went to a local care center at 4:30 PM hoping to see a doctor..l had a fever and chest cold....I could hardly walk...they said I could see a nurse...No doctor would see me because this is not an emergency center and I did not have an appointment. I would have drive 30 miles to their 24 hour center...I was too sick to drive that far. All I wanted was some antibiotics to stop the chest infection. I got NOTHING because the nurse said I did not have an appointment. There were lots of doctors there....they simply would not let me see one...I had to make an appointment for the next day to see a doctor.
This is a real problem and should be corrected so that if a person shows up that is very sick to a local care center....you do not refuse to provide a doctor. The nurse told me right from the start that I would not be able to see a doctor....It seems that this is all she cared about because I left there with no medicatiopn at all because the nurse could not issue a perscription....

Posted by frustrtd on 2011-07-01:

I totally agree Kaiser's appoint system is awful. I tried to book a checkup for my son. His "primary care" is totally booked for next 2 months (which will be after start of new school year.) I am hating Kaiser, too. Anybody know a better HMO?