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Kaiser Permanente Complaint - Kaiser - Beware - 2011 Review - Health Coverage
Health Coverage - Complaint
GEORGIA -- Folks - really take a moment to read this. I pray that it will save you some hassle, heartache and frustration.
My spouse is a County Employee & our benefits are thru his employer. Our out of pocket cost for 3 is approx $400/mo. If we want services we are VERY limited in providers and often drive an hour 1 way to got to Kaiser Gwn. If you have kids who have any preexisting conditions that require Rx's - not even "weird" ones but common things like asthma, DO NOT pick this for your family. Formulary is very limited, and you receive different info on coverage depending on who you talk to.
You CAN NOT get an existing Rx filled if the provider is not a Kaiser provider. It does not matter if the Rx is on the list or not. You basically need to go to the doc in a box facility and become a member of the herd. This is MANAGED HEALTHCARE. Trust me they decide what you can and can not have taken care of, preformed, looked at and followed up on. You have VERY little say so.
Our child's asthma Rx will not be covered with out a tons of hassles, forms, waiting, drives to and fro to Gwinnett to the ONLY pharmacy that will fill non-fomulary Rx. Her med would be $150/30 days w/out insurance It's mid-April 2011 and I've been working to have this Rx covered since Feb 2011. I've filled out or had completed 5 forms thus far.
Do not let the commercials mislead you. If you are healthy, and need "just in case" coverage, then maybe. If you even think you would need to use this insurance to care for your health, then do not become a member. Once you are in, esp. thru an employer you are STUCK!
My spouse is a County Employee & our benefits are thru his employer. Our out of pocket cost for 3 is approx $400/mo. If we want services we are VERY limited in providers and often drive an hour 1 way to got to Kaiser Gwn. If you have kids who have any preexisting conditions that require Rx's - not even "weird" ones but common things like asthma, DO NOT pick this for your family. Formulary is very limited, and you receive different info on coverage depending on who you talk to.
You CAN NOT get an existing Rx filled if the provider is not a Kaiser provider. It does not matter if the Rx is on the list or not. You basically need to go to the doc in a box facility and become a member of the herd. This is MANAGED HEALTHCARE. Trust me they decide what you can and can not have taken care of, preformed, looked at and followed up on. You have VERY little say so.
Our child's asthma Rx will not be covered with out a tons of hassles, forms, waiting, drives to and fro to Gwinnett to the ONLY pharmacy that will fill non-fomulary Rx. Her med would be $150/30 days w/out insurance It's mid-April 2011 and I've been working to have this Rx covered since Feb 2011. I've filled out or had completed 5 forms thus far.
Do not let the commercials mislead you. If you are healthy, and need "just in case" coverage, then maybe. If you even think you would need to use this insurance to care for your health, then do not become a member. Once you are in, esp. thru an employer you are STUCK!
Comments:
Posted by getoverit on 2011-04-11:
I've never participated in Kaiser but I know people who swear by it - especially people with kids.
I can see why the distance is a real drawback in your case.
As far as Kaiser deciding what you can "have taken care of, preformed, looked at and followed up on", that sounds pretty much like any health insurance to me. However I do understand that with Kaiser, you're locked into their own docs and everything.
And with the meds, the last two health insurance plans I've been in pretty much force you into using a mail order prescription plan, unless you want to pay WAY extra. So, I don't see that as a big difference.
Health Insurance these days is pretty much like air travel - gets worse every year.
I can see why the distance is a real drawback in your case.
As far as Kaiser deciding what you can "have taken care of, preformed, looked at and followed up on", that sounds pretty much like any health insurance to me. However I do understand that with Kaiser, you're locked into their own docs and everything.
And with the meds, the last two health insurance plans I've been in pretty much force you into using a mail order prescription plan, unless you want to pay WAY extra. So, I don't see that as a big difference.
Health Insurance these days is pretty much like air travel - gets worse every year.
Posted by samanthasmom on 2011-04-11:
Kaiser sounds like a nightmare to deal with! I am so sorry you are dealing with this OP. I have no experience with them (My spouse is a city employee and our benefits cost about the same as yours for a family of 3 but we have Anthem Blue Cross) but my brother-in-law's employer switched to Kaiser at the end of 2010 and the nearest Kaiser hospital and Kaiser provider are 65 miles away! Kaiser is probably not a bad insurance company to have, if you live a reasonable distance from a provider!
Posted by sam35 on 2011-04-23:
You make a very good point ! If your young and healthy and your paying $60.00 a month for you health insurance Kaiser might be for you !
20 years latter when you already payed Kaiser a fourchion and health insurance is costing you $600.00
a month . Then you need them ? Then they screw you around or don't have the best treatment for your problem ! Or just put you threw hell to get rid of you .
Then you will understand how Me and many other people fell about Kaiser !
But I want to be fair . All insurance plans are
looking for a way out of paying ! Kaiser has it
own way of getting rid of it's problems !
20 years latter when you already payed Kaiser a fourchion and health insurance is costing you $600.00
a month . Then you need them ? Then they screw you around or don't have the best treatment for your problem ! Or just put you threw hell to get rid of you .
Then you will understand how Me and many other people fell about Kaiser !
But I want to be fair . All insurance plans are
looking for a way out of paying ! Kaiser has it
own way of getting rid of it's problems !
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