70% Ca. doctors will not participate in obama's unaffordable care act

[jon_berzerk]

Take a look at this story. The 70% boycott figure comes from an unnamed insurance broker(s). In the article it says that insurance company(s), unnamed, will peg their reimbursement rate to the Californian medicaid rate.

Here's where this article morphed from:

Survey finds doctors rebelling against Obamacare, famous hospitals declining to join | WashingtonExaminer.com

they forgot to mention that when free health care became a right

it was the right of the doctors to become vets

or bow out of the program altogether

 

[Katzndogz]

So... have we figured out yet that the vast majority of the American People think ObamaCare is a piece of shit?

But all men now have insurance coverage for pregnancy and maternity care. That has to be worth something. I can get an abortion but a shingles vaccine isn't covered.

Speaking of which, have you noticed what prescription medications are covered? The next shoe to drop.

 

[jon_berzerk]

So... have we figured out yet that the vast majority of the American People think ObamaCare is a piece of shit?

But all men now have insurance coverage for pregnancy and maternity care. That has to be worth something. I can get an abortion but a shingles vaccine isn't covered.

Speaking of which, have you noticed what prescription medications are covered? The next shoe to drop.

another neat feature of obamacare is

for those who had insurance and now get

to have the much improved obamacare

they more then likely will get to have higher premiums

or

higher deductibles

and in some cases both

Norah O'Donnell of CBS noticed that today

the peoples will really like that

CBS Notices 'Another Problem' With ObamaCare ? Higher Deductibles; ABC, NBC Omit | NewsBusters

oh i forgot to mention

if you like your doctor you can

you just have to pay more for that

according to Ezekiel Emanuel

 

[Flopper]

So... have we figured out yet that the vast majority of the American People think ObamaCare is a piece of shit?

But all men now have insurance coverage for pregnancy and maternity care. That has to be worth something. I can get an abortion but a shingles vaccine isn't covered.

Speaking of which, have you noticed what prescription medications are covered? The next shoe to drop.

As they should because no baby has ever been born without a man being involved somewhere along the line.

Each insurance company has their own formulary. I checked Humana for Florida. I didn't see any difference between the Indivdual Humana plans on the Exchange and those sold directly by Humana.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Nothing above indicates that the health insurance companies in CA have not factored in adequate physician compensation.

Folks are yelling to be yelling here.

 

[Vox]

And very much more expensive

My pay "out of pocket" is Ten Dollars. My son, who is a Teamster, has Zero out of Pocket and his brother will soon have the same Kaiser coverage.

My family of four have picked our own personal Kaiser doctor, one annual visit with labs costs nothing. That is called preventative medicine, and something I believe ever citizens in our county deserves (yes as a Right for living in an exceptional country).

When the personal physician makes a referral to a specialist, there is no fee. Such is a great difference between and HMO and PPO, see:

HMO vs PPO - Difference and Comparison | Diffen

except your preventive medicine in terms of a yearly visit to general practitioner and basic tests won't do shit in the early diagnostics and, more important, treatment of cancer, if that happens ( God forbid).
Or any other SERIOUS disease.
And that is WHY we need insurance - not for appendicitis, which can be treated in any hospital, but for the serious potential disease, which can be treated in some state of the art medical centers across the country.
And neither your Kaiser nor obamacare is providing access to those.

The latter one is actually restricting the care for everybody who had had insurance previously as well.

P.S. If you calculate your monthly premium and your co-pays and your deductible - it is much more expensive than the out-of-the pocket CASH treatment.
You simply think that the prices for CASH are the same as for the claims on the insurance bills
They are NOT.

A visit to your doctor is the first step in early detection. Doctors can tell a lot about your general health by examining you. They can recommend what they consider the most important screening for a person of your age, sex, and general health. The ACA includes a number of important preventive care benefits that are not subject to copays or coinsurance. Even if you haven't met your deductible, there is not charge. They include:

• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm one-time screening for men of specified ages who have ever smoked
• Alcohol Misuse screening and counseling
• Aspirin use to prevent cardiovascular disease for men and women of certain ages
• Blood Pressure screening for all adults
• Cholesterol screening for adults of certain ages or at higher risk
• Colorectal Cancer screening for adults over 50
• Depression screening for adults
• Diabetes (Type 2) screening for adults with high blood pressure
• Diet counseling for adults at higher risk for chronic disease
• HIV screening for everyone ages 15 to 65, and other ages at increased risk
• Obesity screening and counseling for all adults
• Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) prevention counseling for adults at higher risk
• Syphilis screening for all adults at higher risk
• Tobacco Use screening for all adults and cessation interventions for tobacco users

Immunization vaccines for adults--doses, recommended ages, and recommended populations vary but generally include:

• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Herpes Zoster
• Human Papillomavirus
• Influenza (Flu Shot)
• Measles, Mumps, Rubella
• Meningococcal
• Pneumococcal
• Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis
• Varicella

In addition there are a number of other preventive care benefits that must be included in all plans.

https://www.healthcare.gov/what-are-my-preventive-care-benefits/

You're right about cash payments. If you pay cash without insurance, you will be billed for the listed price of each procedure which is usually much higher than the insurance company contracted rate. I recently had a procedure which was billed as $6200. The insurance company contracted rate was $2100. Since I had not paid my deductible, I was responsible for the $2100. If had not had insurance, I would have been billed $6200.

LOL

you are CLEAERLY ignorant. Immunizations have ALWAYS been covered by ANY insurance - for those who need it
Adieu.

 

[Wry Catcher]

And very much more expensive

My pay "out of pocket" is Ten Dollars. My son, who is a Teamster, has Zero out of Pocket and his brother will soon have the same Kaiser coverage.

My family of four have picked our own personal Kaiser doctor, one annual visit with labs costs nothing. That is called preventative medicine, and something I believe ever citizens in our county deserves (yes as a Right for living in an exceptional country).

When the personal physician makes a referral to a specialist, there is no fee. Such is a great difference between and HMO and PPO, see:

HMO vs PPO - Difference and Comparison | Diffen

well i hope you are having better luck with Kaiser then me and my wife had.....they were for doing whatever it takes to not have to spend money on you.....went to Blue Shield....they did all the tests on my wife that Kaiser rejected....Kaiser jaded me for life....

Luck had nothing to do with our experience. If you don't like your personal physician get a new one and explain your problem to another doctor and why you believe more needs to be done. Since I assume you're not a medical doctor, how did you know what tests were necessary? How much did you pay for the new medical insurance and tests?

If I were you and the tests done proved necessary and effective I would write a letter to Kaiser, and cc your attorney, asking them to look into how and why the decision to not provide the care which proved necessary was made, and demand that you be reimbursed for your out of pocket costs.

 

[Vox]

So... have we figured out yet that the vast majority of the American People think ObamaCare is a piece of shit?

But all men now have insurance coverage for pregnancy and maternity care. That has to be worth something. I can get an abortion but a shingles vaccine isn't covered.

Speaking of which, have you noticed what prescription medications are covered? The next shoe to drop.

yes, and all adults who have had their child immunizations ( or the real diseases) are now rligible for childhood immunizations

and you know, as Flopper pompously stated - high blood pressure screening ( sic!!!!) is now available FREE!!!!

The idiots on the left don't even realize how stupid they look High blood pressure "screening" does not EXIST - what is pompously named "screening" is a ROUTINE measurement of the vital signs, including the BP by a nurse or an assistant upon ANY visit to ANY physician or nurse practitioner .
Or "diabetes type 2 " screening - which has been ALWAYS includeed in a STANDARD seven panel BMP test.
Upon any insurance. Or costs 50$ if you pay cash in a lab - exactly the amount of co-pay and monthly premium.

This idiocy goes on and on and on - EVERY single ROUTINE move by a nurse or a doctor which has been covered BEFORE and is ROUTINE - is proclaimed to be the sving of the world
Sometimes it makes me wonder - in order to become a leftard parrotting mouthpiece - one has to become a total idiot which considers everybody around to be total idiots as well.

 

[Wry Catcher]

except your preventive medicine in terms of a yearly visit to general practitioner and basic tests won't do shit in the early diagnostics and, more important, treatment of cancer, if that happens ( God forbid).
Or any other SERIOUS disease.
And that is WHY we need insurance - not for appendicitis, which can be treated in any hospital, but for the serious potential disease, which can be treated in some state of the art medical centers across the country.
And neither your Kaiser nor obamacare is providing access to those.

The latter one is actually restricting the care for everybody who had had insurance previously as well.

P.S. If you calculate your monthly premium and your co-pays and your deductible - it is much more expensive than the out-of-the pocket CASH treatment.
You simply think that the prices for CASH are the same as for the claims on the insurance bills
They are NOT.

A visit to your doctor is the first step in early detection. Doctors can tell a lot about your general health by examining you. They can recommend what they consider the most important screening for a person of your age, sex, and general health. The ACA includes a number of important preventive care benefits that are not subject to copays or coinsurance. Even if you haven't met your deductible, there is not charge. They include:

• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm one-time screening for men of specified ages who have ever smoked
• Alcohol Misuse screening and counseling
• Aspirin use to prevent cardiovascular disease for men and women of certain ages
• Blood Pressure screening for all adults
• Cholesterol screening for adults of certain ages or at higher risk
• Colorectal Cancer screening for adults over 50
• Depression screening for adults
• Diabetes (Type 2) screening for adults with high blood pressure
• Diet counseling for adults at higher risk for chronic disease
• HIV screening for everyone ages 15 to 65, and other ages at increased risk
• Obesity screening and counseling for all adults
• Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) prevention counseling for adults at higher risk
• Syphilis screening for all adults at higher risk
• Tobacco Use screening for all adults and cessation interventions for tobacco users

Immunization vaccines for adults--doses, recommended ages, and recommended populations vary but generally include:

• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Herpes Zoster
• Human Papillomavirus
• Influenza (Flu Shot)
• Measles, Mumps, Rubella
• Meningococcal
• Pneumococcal
• Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis
• Varicella

In addition there are a number of other preventive care benefits that must be included in all plans.

https://www.healthcare.gov/what-are-my-preventive-care-benefits/

You're right about cash payments. If you pay cash without insurance, you will be billed for the listed price of each procedure which is usually much higher than the insurance company contracted rate. I recently had a procedure which was billed as $6200. The insurance company contracted rate was $2100. Since I had not paid my deductible, I was responsible for the $2100. If had not had insurance, I would have been billed $6200.

LOL

you are CLEAERLY ignorant. Immunizations have ALWAYS been covered by ANY insurance - for those who need it
Adieu.

You Vox are clearly ignorant of what preventative medicine is all about, and how easy it has become to get a same day appointment at Kaiser and a referral to a specialist. But I wonder, is your ignorance willful or is your opinion based on some other bias and in fact dishonest?

 

[JakeStarkey]

Those who oppose health care for all Americans are woefully ignorant of all the factors.

 

[Flopper]

except your preventive medicine in terms of a yearly visit to general practitioner and basic tests won't do shit in the early diagnostics and, more important, treatment of cancer, if that happens ( God forbid).
Or any other SERIOUS disease.
And that is WHY we need insurance - not for appendicitis, which can be treated in any hospital, but for the serious potential disease, which can be treated in some state of the art medical centers across the country.
And neither your Kaiser nor obamacare is providing access to those.

The latter one is actually restricting the care for everybody who had had insurance previously as well.

P.S. If you calculate your monthly premium and your co-pays and your deductible - it is much more expensive than the out-of-the pocket CASH treatment.
You simply think that the prices for CASH are the same as for the claims on the insurance bills
They are NOT.

A visit to your doctor is the first step in early detection. Doctors can tell a lot about your general health by examining you. They can recommend what they consider the most important screening for a person of your age, sex, and general health. The ACA includes a number of important preventive care benefits that are not subject to copays or coinsurance. Even if you haven't met your deductible, there is not charge. They include:

• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm one-time screening for men of specified ages who have ever smoked
• Alcohol Misuse screening and counseling
• Aspirin use to prevent cardiovascular disease for men and women of certain ages
• Blood Pressure screening for all adults
• Cholesterol screening for adults of certain ages or at higher risk
• Colorectal Cancer screening for adults over 50
• Depression screening for adults
• Diabetes (Type 2) screening for adults with high blood pressure
• Diet counseling for adults at higher risk for chronic disease
• HIV screening for everyone ages 15 to 65, and other ages at increased risk
• Obesity screening and counseling for all adults
• Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) prevention counseling for adults at higher risk
• Syphilis screening for all adults at higher risk
• Tobacco Use screening for all adults and cessation interventions for tobacco users

Immunization vaccines for adults--doses, recommended ages, and recommended populations vary but generally include:

• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Herpes Zoster
• Human Papillomavirus
• Influenza (Flu Shot)
• Measles, Mumps, Rubella
• Meningococcal
• Pneumococcal
• Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis
• Varicella

In addition there are a number of other preventive care benefits that must be included in all plans.

https://www.healthcare.gov/what-are-my-preventive-care-benefits/

You're right about cash payments. If you pay cash without insurance, you will be billed for the listed price of each procedure which is usually much higher than the insurance company contracted rate. I recently had a procedure which was billed as $6200. The insurance company contracted rate was $2100. Since I had not paid my deductible, I was responsible for the $2100. If had not had insurance, I would have been billed $6200.

LOL

you are CLEAERLY ignorant. Immunizations have ALWAYS been covered by ANY insurance - for those who need it
Adieu.

That's not so. Immunizations coverage varies by plan. Junk insurance plans usually have no preventive care. Even plans from reputable carriers vary in regard to preventive care. This is from the description of the Human One Enhanced Plan which is not available in 2014.

"Preventive care - includes preventive: office visits, lab, X-ray, child
immunizations, Pap smear, prostate screening, endoscopic services,
and mammogram"

https://www.humana.com

 

[Harry Dresden]

And very much more expensive

My pay "out of pocket" is Ten Dollars. My son, who is a Teamster, has Zero out of Pocket and his brother will soon have the same Kaiser coverage.

My family of four have picked our own personal Kaiser doctor, one annual visit with labs costs nothing. That is called preventative medicine, and something I believe ever citizens in our county deserves (yes as a Right for living in an exceptional country).

When the personal physician makes a referral to a specialist, there is no fee. Such is a great difference between and HMO and PPO, see:

HMO vs PPO - Difference and Comparison | Diffen

well i hope you are having better luck with Kaiser then me and my wife had.....they were for doing whatever it takes to not have to spend money on you.....went to Blue Shield....they did all the tests on my wife that Kaiser rejected....Kaiser jaded me for life....

Luck had nothing to do with our experience. If you don't like your personal physician get a new one and explain your problem to another doctor and why you believe more needs to be done. Since I assume you're not a medical doctor, how did you know what tests were necessary? How much did you pay for the new medical insurance and tests?

If I were you and the tests done proved necessary and effective I would write a letter to Kaiser, and cc your attorney, asking them to look into how and why the decision to not provide the care which proved necessary was made, and demand that you be reimbursed for your out of pocket costs.

Since I assume you're not a medical doctor, how did you know what tests were necessary?


my wife is an Epilieptic .....back then she was having Grand Mal seizures every now and then and she was having Petite Mal ones approx 15x a month....she was seeing the Head of Neurology at the Anaheim Kaiser facility.....this women tried all the usual stuff....nothing worked.....so she sent her to their Epileptic specialist...he said she needed tests that are a little more extensive to find out why nothing is working....he put in for these tests twice and was shot down both times.....he said that Kaiser thinks my wife was one of those problem epileptics and thats the way it is.....it was open season....Blue Shield was highly recommended to me....we switched over....the Neurologist at ST Joesph Med Center was shocked they would not give her the tests....he did....Blue Shield did not bat an eye.....needless to say within a few months everything was under Control ....as far as i am concerned Kaiser can go to hell....during the course of my Mail Delivery career i have met a few others with similar stories about Kaiser and how their sentiments about the place are like my own....

 

[itfitzme]

As there is not a left wing loon (working without talking points) with the capacity to refute the article...I will do it for him. for the sake of fair discussion.

The quote is from Insurance Bokers who foresee that the government will soon take their jobs.

Doesn't mean they are Liars (like our president)...just means they are prejudice...like every body in Obama's huge propaganda machine. The Citizens (and the Congress) have just about given up trying to get the Truth out of this White House.

Things are so partisan that an American despairs of getting the Truth about anything.

Yes.

A search under "percent of doctors that accept medicaid" lists reports, year after year after year, of doctors "not accepting medicaid.".

"Aug 6, 2012 - What was it about the Medicaid program that was turning doctors off?"

"Mar 15, 2010 As Medicaid Payments Shrink, Patients Are Abandoned - NYTimes ..."

Every year, the same news about doctors not accepting Medicaid.

With other reports completely opposite. In general;

"Oct 16, 2013 - Doctors Likely to Continue Accepting Medicaid Patients After Expansion"

This report shows up in Science Daily.

Doctors likely to accept new Medicaid patients as coverage expands

"The upcoming expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) won't lead physicians to reduce the number of new Medicaid patients they accept, suggests a study in the November issue of Medical Care, published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health."

Kiaser puts out objective and accurate reporting, like

Study: Nearly A Third Of Doctors Won't See New Medicaid Patients - Kaiser Health News

"To boost doctor participation, the health law increases pay for primary care physicians in 2013 and 2014 who treat Medicaid patients -- a 30-percent hike on average nationally and a 50-percent boost for New Jersey doctors. After that, Congress is likely to come under pressure to continue the funding, but there is no guarantee it will.

The law also provides $11 billion to expand community health centers that provide primary care to Medicaid patients.
"
The Washington Post presented the CDA study of state level medicaid data in

Study: One-third of doctors wouldn?t take new Medicaid patients last year

California has allways come in on the low end. "That could prove true in a state like California, where 1.8 million residents are expected to gain coverage - but fewer than 60 percent of providers accept new patients in the program."

And, "It could also speak to the importance of some of the payment increases in the Affordable Care Act. The law increases Medicaid reimbursements for primary care doctors to match those of Medicare providers."

The supply of medical personnel isn't unexpected. I expect it will be an issue for at least the length of time it takes to get a medical degree, beginning this year.

I find no underlying credible source for the OP article that tracks back to

Doctors boycotting California's Obamacare exchange | WashingtonExaminer.com

I can't find anything on the CMA website. Home - California Medical Association

All in all, I'm not getting a consistent picture.

Besides, since when have we expected that those with less money would have anything but less access. Isn't that how the free market works?

 

[oreo]

California's state-run Obamacare health insurance exchange, Covered California, is touted by the Obama administration as a model of the policy's success. That was, in fact, the political strategy all along, as Obama's non-profit organization, Organizing for Action, focused on helping California's rollout effort. But in addition to inflated web traffic numbers and privacy concerns, Covered California now faces an acute doctor shortage.

An estimated 70% of California doctors will not participate in the Obamacare-compliant health insurance policies offered by Covered California, according to the California Medical Association, as reported by the Washington Examiner. Though Covered California claims that 85% of doctors will participate, many doctors listed as participating are expected to decline payment, having learned that reimbursements will be very low.

Doctors Boycotting Obamacare in California


this could be a disaster given Ca. demography

No surprise--MOST Doctors will not accept Medicade payments--and most of the new enrollees in California are Obamacare Medicade enrollees.

 

[Star]

California's state-run Obamacare health insurance exchange, Covered California, is touted by the Obama administration as a model of the policy's success. That was, in fact, the political strategy all along, as Obama's non-profit organization, Organizing for Action, focused on helping California's rollout effort. But in addition to inflated web traffic numbers and privacy concerns, Covered California now faces an acute doctor shortage.

An estimated 70% of California doctors will not participate in the Obamacare-compliant health insurance policies offered by Covered California, according to the California Medical Association, as reported by the Washington Examiner. Though Covered California claims that 85% of doctors will participate, many doctors listed as participating are expected to decline payment, having learned that reimbursements will be very low.

Doctors Boycotting Obamacare in California


this could be a disaster given Ca. demography

No surprise--MOST Doctors will not accept Medicade payments--and most of the new enrollees in California are Obamacare Medicade enrollees.

In it's time, rightwingers were saying the same thing about medicare - how'd that work out for y'all?


Report: More doctors accepting Medicare patients
Kelly Kennedy, USA TODAY

<snip>

In 2007, about 925,000 doctors billed Medicare for their services. In 2011, that number had risen to 1.25 million, according to the report by the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation.

"I think the report comes at a time when people are asking questions about Medicare," said Jonathan Blum, principal deputy administrator for the Center for Medicare Services. "It provides a more complete picture of how physicians choose to participate in the Medicare system."

Physicians have complained about Medicare payment caps, the annual debate in Congress over the way Medicare pays doctors and new paperwork requirements.

"Overall, the clients we deal with have good access to physicians," said Joe Baker, president of the Medicare Rights Center, a non-profit advocacy group for older Americans and people with disabilities. "We find the physicians who don't take Medicare don't take other insurance, either, but it's not a problem we see regularly."


<snip>
.

 

[Flopper]

well i hope you are having better luck with Kaiser then me and my wife had.....they were for doing whatever it takes to not have to spend money on you.....went to Blue Shield....they did all the tests on my wife that Kaiser rejected....Kaiser jaded me for life....

Luck had nothing to do with our experience. If you don't like your personal physician get a new one and explain your problem to another doctor and why you believe more needs to be done. Since I assume you're not a medical doctor, how did you know what tests were necessary? How much did you pay for the new medical insurance and tests?

If I were you and the tests done proved necessary and effective I would write a letter to Kaiser, and cc your attorney, asking them to look into how and why the decision to not provide the care which proved necessary was made, and demand that you be reimbursed for your out of pocket costs.

Since I assume you're not a medical doctor, how did you know what tests were necessary?


my wife is an Epilieptic .....back then she was having Grand Mal seizures every now and then and she was having Petite Mal ones approx 15x a month....she was seeing the Head of Neurology at the Anaheim Kaiser facility.....this women tried all the usual stuff....nothing worked.....so she sent her to their Epileptic specialist...he said she needed tests that are a little more extensive to find out why nothing is working....he put in for these tests twice and was shot down both times.....he said that Kaiser thinks my wife was one of those problem epileptics and thats the way it is.....it was open season....Blue Shield was highly recommended to me....we switched over....the Neurologist at ST Joesph Med Center was shocked they would not give her the tests....he did....Blue Shield did not bat an eye.....needless to say within a few months everything was under Control ....as far as i am concerned Kaiser can go to hell....during the course of my Mail Delivery career i have met a few others with similar stories about Kaiser and how their sentiments about the place are like my own....

My son had a similar experience with another co-op, Group Health in Washington State. He was referred to one on their Neurosurgeons. It took 2 months to get an appoint with the PA who evaluated him and put him on a medication for another month. Finally, she said it was time to consider surgery but it would be another 3 to 4 months before he could get an appointment with the surgeon. Later we found out that the Group Health only had 5 Neurosurgeons on staff in the state.

He changed to Premera Blue Cross. It took 3 week to get an appointment with the surgeon and he was operated on 2 weeks later.

Co-ops seem to work great as long as you don't need one of the less common specialists.

 

[Harry Dresden]

Luck had nothing to do with our experience. If you don't like your personal physician get a new one and explain your problem to another doctor and why you believe more needs to be done. Since I assume you're not a medical doctor, how did you know what tests were necessary? How much did you pay for the new medical insurance and tests?

If I were you and the tests done proved necessary and effective I would write a letter to Kaiser, and cc your attorney, asking them to look into how and why the decision to not provide the care which proved necessary was made, and demand that you be reimbursed for your out of pocket costs.

Since I assume you're not a medical doctor, how did you know what tests were necessary?


my wife is an Epilieptic .....back then she was having Grand Mal seizures every now and then and she was having Petite Mal ones approx 15x a month....she was seeing the Head of Neurology at the Anaheim Kaiser facility.....this women tried all the usual stuff....nothing worked.....so she sent her to their Epileptic specialist...he said she needed tests that are a little more extensive to find out why nothing is working....he put in for these tests twice and was shot down both times.....he said that Kaiser thinks my wife was one of those problem epileptics and thats the way it is.....it was open season....Blue Shield was highly recommended to me....we switched over....the Neurologist at ST Joesph Med Center was shocked they would not give her the tests....he did....Blue Shield did not bat an eye.....needless to say within a few months everything was under Control ....as far as i am concerned Kaiser can go to hell....during the course of my Mail Delivery career i have met a few others with similar stories about Kaiser and how their sentiments about the place are like my own....

My son had a similar experience with another co-op, Group Health in Washington State. He was referred to one on their Neurosurgeons. It took 2 months to get an appoint with the PA who evaluated him and put him on a medication for another month. Finally, she said it was time to consider surgery but it would be another 3 to 4 months before he could get an appointment with the surgeon. Later we found out that the Group Health only had 5 Neurosurgeons on staff in the state.

He changed to Premera Blue Cross. It took 3 week to get an appointment with the surgeon and he was operated on 2 weeks later.

Co-ops seem to work great as long as you don't need one of the less common specialists.

well luckily were i am at i have St.Joseph Med Center and UCI Med Center..... Doctors of all kinds here.....

 

[Star]

Luck had nothing to do with our experience. If you don't like your personal physician get a new one and explain your problem to another doctor and why you believe more needs to be done. Since I assume you're not a medical doctor, how did you know what tests were necessary? How much did you pay for the new medical insurance and tests?

If I were you and the tests done proved necessary and effective I would write a letter to Kaiser, and cc your attorney, asking them to look into how and why the decision to not provide the care which proved necessary was made, and demand that you be reimbursed for your out of pocket costs.

Since I assume you're not a medical doctor, how did you know what tests were necessary?


my wife is an Epilieptic .....back then she was having Grand Mal seizures every now and then and she was having Petite Mal ones approx 15x a month....she was seeing the Head of Neurology at the Anaheim Kaiser facility.....this women tried all the usual stuff....nothing worked.....so she sent her to their Epileptic specialist...he said she needed tests that are a little more extensive to find out why nothing is working....he put in for these tests twice and was shot down both times.....he said that Kaiser thinks my wife was one of those problem epileptics and thats the way it is.....it was open season....Blue Shield was highly recommended to me....we switched over....the Neurologist at ST Joesph Med Center was shocked they would not give her the tests....he did....Blue Shield did not bat an eye.....needless to say within a few months everything was under Control ....as far as i am concerned Kaiser can go to hell....during the course of my Mail Delivery career i have met a few others with similar stories about Kaiser and how their sentiments about the place are like my own....

My son had a similar experience with another co-op, Group Health in Washington State. He was referred to one on their Neurosurgeons. It took 2 months to get an appoint with the PA who evaluated him and put him on a medication for another month. Finally, she said it was time to consider surgery but it would be another 3 to 4 months before he could get an appointment with the surgeon. Later we found out that the Group Health only had 5 Neurosurgeons on staff in the state.

He changed to Premera Blue Cross. It took 3 week to get an appointment with the surgeon and he was operated on 2 weeks later.

Co-ops seem to work great as long as you don't need one of the less common specialists.

My wife and I have been satisfied members of Group Health of Washington for many years. When we discovered my wife had an inherited neurological disease, Group Health sent her to the UofW Medical Center - we've never had a problem getting in to see her doctor(s). The only hassle for us is, we have to go to Seattle to see her doctor instead of the much easier accessed Bellevue Clinic. But then back in the day, when I had neurological issues of my own, the VA also sent me to the UofW Medical Center for treatment. What is it with neurology departments, is there a shortage of neurosurgeons?

I'd recommend Group Health of Washington, and if they're anything like GHW, co-ops in general to anyone who's looking for healthcare.
.

 

[Flopper]

Since I assume you're not a medical doctor, how did you know what tests were necessary?


my wife is an Epilieptic .....back then she was having Grand Mal seizures every now and then and she was having Petite Mal ones approx 15x a month....she was seeing the Head of Neurology at the Anaheim Kaiser facility.....this women tried all the usual stuff....nothing worked.....so she sent her to their Epileptic specialist...he said she needed tests that are a little more extensive to find out why nothing is working....he put in for these tests twice and was shot down both times.....he said that Kaiser thinks my wife was one of those problem epileptics and thats the way it is.....it was open season....Blue Shield was highly recommended to me....we switched over....the Neurologist at ST Joesph Med Center was shocked they would not give her the tests....he did....Blue Shield did not bat an eye.....needless to say within a few months everything was under Control ....as far as i am concerned Kaiser can go to hell....during the course of my Mail Delivery career i have met a few others with similar stories about Kaiser and how their sentiments about the place are like my own....

My son had a similar experience with another co-op, Group Health in Washington State. He was referred to one on their Neurosurgeons. It took 2 months to get an appoint with the PA who evaluated him and put him on a medication for another month. Finally, she said it was time to consider surgery but it would be another 3 to 4 months before he could get an appointment with the surgeon. Later we found out that the Group Health only had 5 Neurosurgeons on staff in the state.

He changed to Premera Blue Cross. It took 3 week to get an appointment with the surgeon and he was operated on 2 weeks later.

Co-ops seem to work great as long as you don't need one of the less common specialists.

My wife and I have been satisfied members of Group Health of Washington for many years. When we discovered my wife had an inherited neurological disease, Group Health sent her to the UofW Medical Center - we've never had a problem getting in to see her doctor(s). The only hassle for us is, we have to go to Seattle to see her doctor instead of the much easier accessed Bellevue Clinic. But then back in the day, when I had neurological issues of my own, the VA also sent me to the UofW Medical Center for treatment. What is it with neurology departments, is there a shortage of neurosurgeons?

I'd recommend Group Health of Washington, and if they're anything like GHW, co-ops in general to anyone who's looking for healthcare.
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My daughter's family lives in Seattle and they have had group health for years and love it. In spite of my son's experience, I think non-profit co-ops provide good healthcare at a reasonable cost. Integrating insurance and healthcare delivery makes possible real cost controls.

 

[itfitzme]

My son had a similar experience with another co-op, Group Health in Washington State. He was referred to one on their Neurosurgeons. It took 2 months to get an appoint with the PA who evaluated him and put him on a medication for another month. Finally, she said it was time to consider surgery but it would be another 3 to 4 months before he could get an appointment with the surgeon. Later we found out that the Group Health only had 5 Neurosurgeons on staff in the state.

He changed to Premera Blue Cross. It took 3 week to get an appointment with the surgeon and he was operated on 2 weeks later.

Co-ops seem to work great as long as you don't need one of the less common specialists.

My wife and I have been satisfied members of Group Health of Washington for many years. When we discovered my wife had an inherited neurological disease, Group Health sent her to the UofW Medical Center - we've never had a problem getting in to see her doctor(s). The only hassle for us is, we have to go to Seattle to see her doctor instead of the much easier accessed Bellevue Clinic. But then back in the day, when I had neurological issues of my own, the VA also sent me to the UofW Medical Center for treatment. What is it with neurology departments, is there a shortage of neurosurgeons?

I'd recommend Group Health of Washington, and if they're anything like GHW, co-ops in general to anyone who's looking for healthcare.
.

My daughter's family lives in Seattle and they have had group health for years and love it. In spite of my son's experience, I think non-profit co-ops provide good healthcare at a reasonable cost. Integrating insurance and healthcare delivery makes possible real cost controls.

My wife's condition, due to a head on collision, has given us two and a half decades of substantial experience. Access was never an issue, whether it was Medicare, Medicaid, alone or in combination with an employer group plan. It is our experience that health care quality has had more to do with individual doctor's approach and attentiviness to care than it has had to do with insurance plans, PPO or HMO the like.

Shere "luck of the draw" made all the difference between a doctor that didn't find the problem and one that knew how to find the problem. For instance, a weight bearing x-ray will reveal the problem in a joint where any standard x-ray, taken while laying down, reveals nothing.

The single greatest issue was overwhelming out-of-pocket expences that varied depending on the insurance policies we were able to carry at any particular point in time.

We will see, over the next five years, how well PPACA does in increasing the supply of doctors, nurses, and other medical care professionals to meet demand. The only way we will know is if we count the health care employment level.