To the editor: Thanks for the article by Melody Petersen about Kaiser (“Kaiser made $9.3 billion final yr. Critics say it has strayed from its charitable mission,” March 29). I’m aghast — and indignant.
I’m a longtime Kaiser affected person, and have observed a discount within the stage of care accessible in current occasions. Years in the past, it took about two weeks to get an appointment with a health care provider. Now, it’s a three-month wait to get an appointment to see one in every of my treating docs. I believed there was a scarcity of docs within the U.S., and attributed a few of the wait to that issue.
In the meantime, members of the West L.A. location on Cadillac Avenue should pay $10 to park if their appointments last more than an hour.
Federal and state prosecutors must be pushing additional to search for the discrepancies between its good points arising from its tax-free standing and its expenditures, and whether or not legal guidelines are being damaged. Certainly Kaiser might have employed extra docs to take care of the present affected person load. I’m greater than upset.
Diann Dumas, Los Angeles
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To the editor: I’ve been a Kaiser affected person for 20 years and have been happy with the care I obtain. When my husband was dying, the workers couldn’t have been kinder, and so they made up a mattress for me to remain the evening.
I’ve observed over time that it does take longer to get care. It took two months to get an appointment to see my coronary heart physician for a routine checkup and after I stated I’d go to pressing care if I had a difficulty, I used to be instructed to do this.
What has shocked me is the price of a bit of greater than $100 to offer me a flu shot. This was not for the treatment itself, however for a licensed vocational nurse to manage the shot, which took two seconds. As a retired nurse, I’ve given a whole lot if not 1000’s of pictures, and this isn’t a extremely technical talent. There was no cost to me, but it helps me perceive why the price of healthcare is so excessive.
For the previous couple of years, I’ve thought-about altering well being plans. I really like my docs so haven’t modified — but. Maybe these are normal expenses no matter well being plan.
Sharon Westafer, Lengthy Seashore
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To the editor: Enforcement actions by the Division of Well being and Human Companies concentrating on the inflation of medical diagnoses for billing functions have been carried out in opposition to quite a few for-profit and not-for-profit well being plans, together with Kaiser Permanente. Criticisms from medical plan workers and sufferers and reviews of failures to supply applicable and well timed companies are frequent to all well being plans.
Shoppers of well being companies vote with their toes, searching for out the perfect return for his or her buck. Kaiser’s built-in well being mannequin, emphasis on preventative care and administration of persistent illnesses has resulted in a gentle progress in membership and a excessive retention price. Kaiser is persistently at or close to No. 1 total in high quality scores, yr after yr.
Having spent 27 years working at Kaiser Permanente as a doctor, I had the chance to see it steadily enhance the standard of companies delivered to its members by recognizing its shortcomings and implementing corrective measures. For anybody who has skilled medical companies offered by Kaiser versus different nonprofit or for-profit suppliers, which do you like?
James Wight, Altadena
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To the editor: “Nicely, you may all the time go to pressing care” is what I’ve heard a number of occasions when the earliest potential appointment accessible with my major care physician is in three months. Curiously, the final time I went to pressing care, the receptionist was in a position to make an appointment for me with my major care physician that very same week. It’s an unlimited bureaucratic system and it’s a must to know how one can sport it, and I do. I nonetheless can’t get appointments in a well timed vogue.
My major care physician has greater than 2,200 sufferers. It appears that evidently’s the norm at Kaiser. Certainly the $73-billion monetary reserve Kaiser has is sufficient to rent extra docs and extra nurses!
Ellen Butterfield, Pasadena
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To the editor: Kaiser Permanente is filled with expert, caring docs, nurses and assist workers. Nevertheless, one thing is significantly unsuitable with its capacity to assist members in a well timed vogue. My sister and I each broke bones in an accident greater than two weeks in the past and are nonetheless awaiting assist from specialists. That is no option to deal with sufferers and particularly these with pressing wants.
Lynn Dickhoff, Topanga
