Rate Kaiser Permanente as a health plan

I have had no problems with them whatsoever. Of course I am not terribly sick yet so I still have yet to rate them there.

Do have problems with messaging a doctor. Takes a while to get a response but that is the doc not the company.

My grandmother has had them for a LONG time. Had a mastectomy, cancer treatments broken hips and has never had a problem.

Maybe it depends on the specific facility. In the DC area they are a major component and have a lot of gov't employees too. Never really hear anything negative.

Many of my family have Kaiser.
They say if you are really sick but not ER sick to insist on talking to an advice nurse.
Ask to ensure it is a nurse not a clerk.

And as for any system don't go alone if you are sick.
They always bring a sibling or adult child.

Upfront, I'm not insured with Kaiser Permanente. However, my parents have been for many years, as are my in-laws. Given their advanced age, I take my parents to their doctors appointments, and have seen them through serious hospitalizations and procedures. They go to the one in Harbor City. I've always found the nurses and assistance and doctors all very helpful and friendly.

In the case of my parents, they have never had an issue with Kaiser, and frankly, neither have I. When my fathers was gravely ill (about 12 years ago), his GI specialist sent him out of the plan to another specialist in another city to confirm his diagnosis and his treatment - all of which was covered by Kaiser.

We never have a problem seeing a specialist - we can make the request through my parent's family physician, and we get an appointment. Or, if they have seen the specialist before, we can make the appointment directly through the specialist.

One story I have is one regarding my in-laws. They are retired with a very limited income. They were insured w/ Pacific Care (thru Medicare) when my father-in-law was diagnosed with colon cancer. The surgery was covered thru the insurance, but come to find out, the chemo wasn't - when we went for our initial consult w/ the chemo office, they told us he had to pay, in cash, before each treatment - the amount was between $600-$900 each time - the total would have been over $16,000.00. After three treatments, I was resolved to find another solution, because they were going thru their savings. I researched several insurance companies, but they weren't particularly helpful, and there would have been delays in getting him his chemo.

Coincidentally, his daughter was going thru breast cancer treatment at the same time at Kaiser. She was very happy with her treatments and the customer service they provided. So, I called Kaiser and spoke with a very helpful rep, who answered all my concerns and helped me navigate getting my father-in-law into the program without a glitch - they were able to get him into see a primary physician, an oncologist, and had him on the identical chemo w/out missing or stalling a single treatment - literally, once we transfered, everything happened w/in two days.

And I have to say, I liked his treatment better at Kaiser - he had a private room w/ a nicer chair and a little television, and the person giving him his chemo was the same nurse every time - the other office had technicians, and there were 15 people in one room.

He has since recovered very nicely.

AND, on top of that, about a year later, he received a very expensive electronic implant for his bad back that he would NEVER have received thru his old insurance. And all thru Kaiser.

The only reason I don't join is my son - he's been with the same pediatrician since he was a baby. If it weren't for that, I'd switch in a heartbeat. And no, I don't work for Kaiser.