My point was that I'm not the only one who thiks Kaiser (the company) has poor service. I would think you know that given your ties to the company, but it sounds like you are oblivious to all the complaints or don't realize that Kaiser is not the most well looked upon health care provider.[/QUOTE] Now probably isn't the time to tell you that the Kaiser CEO is an advisor to President Obama, and that the Kaiser model is the blueprint for a long-term public HMO model.[/QUOTE] If Kaiser is the blueprint for a long-term public HMO model . . . then you and I are in agreement, the adminstration is making a mistake. See, I can change my mind. That is about the strongest statement I can think about against the health care bill.
Beware of what you wish for. http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes....hief-optimistic-about-health-overhaul-effort/
Do you really think ANYTHING will be better than the current situation? Because I guarantee you government control of our healthcare system won't be. You wouldn't be able to employ as many people, because no amount of belt-tightening would make up for that 8% penalty for not providing insurance. That woman over 55 with thyroid cancer? Use your cookbook software to make her a really pretty will. Those jobs you think you created in Seattle? That company will have to limit their hires to pay for other people's healthcare. As for efficiency, you really think the Federal Government will do a better job than a health insurance company? And then let's talk about denying claims. As I posted earlier, guess which insurance company leads the pack at 6.85% of claims? Yep. You guessed it. Good ol' Medicare. The system can be improved, but not through the heavy hand of government. Lift state requirements on what insurance companies can offer. Enact tort reform. Allow people to deduct health care expenses just like companies. Create health savings accounts. That's just a start, but it would go a long way to helping the current situation. Furthermore, it happens overnight, not in 2013.
http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicin...Advocates-Annual-Quality-Report-Card-30270-1/ If Kaiser is the most highly-rated plan by patients in the largest state in the union, I'd hate to see the other plans. Perhaps you and Mook should start your own healthcare company since you have all of the answers. http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicin...Advocates-Annual-Quality-Report-Card-30270-1/ '/>"/>
Well let me inform you will all the confidence in the worls that Kaiser is not the best health plan out there. I know it is hard to hear and I'm sure you will find links to say it is, but it really isn't. To quote rainman "Kaiser sucks!"
It's funny some senators thought this would be a good time to filibuster the bill to extend unemployment benefits. http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2009/10/republican-filibuster-of-unemployment.html
I have a friend who worked in Kaiser as the head Intensive Care unit nurse. She talked sooo much shit about their policies. When I told her my parents have their insurance through Kaiser she got scared for my parents. According to her they are VERY stingy when treating patients. The bare minimum of care was what they did. They never let her do any precautionary checkups or anything like that. She since moved jobs because of their policies. She is now holds the same job but at UCLA medical center in Santa Monica...so Im pretty sure she knows what she is talking about. Now Papa, Im commenting on what this one Kaiser does...not what your wife does, so dont get your panties in a bunch
Agreed. There are many ways to provide both acceptable overall reform as well as ways to provide healthcare to all. Why do we do the single most expensive, intrusive and worst way first?
The President and the California Office of Patient Advocates seem to think you're wrong. Again, why not start your own healthcare model? You seem to have a lot of ideas on what is wrong with the system.
I've had Kaiser a couple of times. I have nothing but the very best of things to say about them. To be sure, a few things I did not like, but the care was fine.
It's the U6 number I pay attention to, as it reflects not only those who are currently unemployed, but those who have given up. It captures the mood of the market, not just the current state of joblessness. http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/11/6/801210/-Layoffs-Slacken.-U6-Soars-to-17.5 And for those with poor eyesight: http://images2.dailykos.com/images/user/6/u3_0ct09.jpg
What baffles me is that mook thinks that a government-run program would be better for his employees or their spouses with terminal or pre-existing conditions. You pointed out the Medicare % of denials. The number I've seen is even higher than that, making it double the rate of the highest denial rate among private insurers.
...and when Ive gone to Kaiser Ive wanted to go postal on them....They DO suck. The doctors dont give a rats ass about you. I have a chipped bone floating in my elbow due to a snow skiing accident. I go to get it xrayed and removed since it would periodically cause pain. The doctor came in after an hour wait and wrote an order for an xray. I go to the xray unit to find out the dumb doctor wrote down the wrong arm for xray. They wouldnt xray the correct one until they had his writtem permission...which took another two hours. I get the xray finally. Two weeks later I get a one sentance letter from the doctor. "I see no significant abnormalities"....what the fuck does that mean?!? So there ARE some abnormalities but you dont think they are a big deal??? How about the pain? How about the the chipped bone is floating around and could float into my joint?!? Care to give me more than one fucking sentence since I was there for 5-6hours because of your fuckup?!? WTF. I promised myself Im not going back there until im about to die.
Chipped bones will typically dissolve on their own. I'm guessing you are OK now w/out surgery. Do you go to the doctor for hangnails and sniffles as well? Or, did you shop around for a surgeon to take out the chip that healed on it's own? Some ibuprofen would have done the trick and likely did. Toughen up.
well since that chipped bone happened two years ago, still sometimes causes pain, and when i roll my elbow on a table you can hear the bone rolling over with a loud thud....no its still very much there and annoying Thanks Dr. Papa, but no thanks ....and I know this sounds unbelivable but its true...I was in a car accident many years ago. I had a precautionary MRI (not at Kaiser) and afterwards the doctor asked when I broke my back..."Uh what doctor?" He points out where my back had broke and fused back together....I never knew I broke my back but after him telling me this I have a suspicion when it happened when I was around 12 or so... ....so yes...I have a very high pain threshold thank u very much. Ive also WALKED on a broken ankle to the hospital...so yeah
Go ask for a 2nd opinion. You know you can do that, right? Or go pay for it on your own outside of the Kaiser system. It's an elective surgery.
Wow that sounds great! So get a 2nd opinion because the Kaiser doctor didnt do his job correctly! Sweet! Pay to go to an outside source because my insurance company is incompetent! Awesome! Gee...Im in pain and a simple local anesthetic procedure would instantly rectify this issue yet they wouldnt even consider that?!? So unless Im on deaths doorstep they are gonna sit there with their thumb up their collective asses....awesome btw...see 2nd part of my last post i added
Yeah, I'm trying to figure out the problem. He went in, got a diagnosis, and disagreed with the remedy. All in the span of a few weeks for a non-emergent injury. At least in this current system, he has the option to shop around for alternative remedies, although for some reason he refuses to do so. That's not the case in a purely socialized system.
The Kaiser doctor did do his job correctly. He diagnosed the injury. What you disagree with is the remedy option. At least you now have the option of finding somebody to do your elective procedure. You would not have that option in a single-payer plan.
