kaiserfraud ([info]corphq) wrote,
@ 2007-01-03 15:03:00
Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend  Next Entry
Entry tags:kaiser permanente, kaiser workers

Kaiser's New Year's Resolution: Boost Marketing and Sell, Sell, Sell
Kaiser CEO George Halvorson has besieged employees with his propaganda talking points for 2007. The memo focuses on the media, highlighting three or so articles planted by Kaiser PR that mention Kaiser in a positive light while aggressively ignoring all the horror stories such as the 139+ people who died because of bureaucratic snafus in Kaiser's new kidney transplant unit, patient dumping on skid row, and the laptop follies that released the personal data of tens of thousands of people out into the wild.

Toward the end of the memo, Halvorson forgets he's working for a dummy corporation tax shelter not-for-profit and urges Kaiser slaves employees to keep pushing for the money:

Progress is being made for both our market presence and our ability to successfully administer the new products we are selling.

Halvorson is the leader of the largest HMO in the U.S. and one of the most powerful voices in the future of U.S. health care policy. Shouldn't his "vision and direction" for 2007 have something to do with providing for patients instead of brand-building and selling?

(6 comments) - (Post a new comment)

Kaiser Pharmacy Policies
(Anonymous)
2007-01-06 09:19 am UTC (link)
Could you tell me where I stand with regard to the set up at Kaiser Pharmacy. Twice I have been interrogated about the my meds,when,why,how etc.

I have stated to two pharmacists that I object to my meds or health care being discussed in a public waiting room,which in my opinion their pharmacy deps are.

They are adequate to collect a prescription or ask for advice on a certain treatment, end of story. When, however, it comes to a pharmacist who has a bee in his bonnet about the correct prescription or dosage etc and wants to more than your Doc does about what's going on with your health, then their little pharmacy, public waiting room just doesn't cut it.

I told a pharmacist last month not to discuss my meds or health in that room, when she attempted it. This month, same thing again, only this time the man just ignored me and kept prying me with questions. I repeatedly told him his questioning was not acceptable in a public place and he acknowledged what I was saying, said he agreed with me and kept right on doing it. I finally said "I don't appreciate your patronizing attitude." He denied that of course, then I said "You have a choice, either take me somewhere private right now, or don't say one more solitary word about my health, my meds or treatments." Then and only then did he back off, and he opened a door and let me step inside the office. I am totally disgusted with the attitude and humiliating lack of privacy.

Do you have any suggestions, that would be helpful with regards to procedures.

TIA Liz

(Reply to this) (Thread)
Re: Kaiser Pharmacy Policies
[info]corphq
2007-01-06 10:36 am UTC (link)
This is an interesting question. I think the pharmacist is legally required to discuss the medication with you. It's Kaiser's choice to economize by making the pharmacist work with a cattle call of patients.

I agree that there's huge potential for violation of privacy here, and it's probably just waiting for a lawsuit. Like you, I'd love to know exactly what Kaiser's legal positioning is. Kaiser talks big about privacy, but the minute it might cost them some money, suddenly privacy is just a trivial matter.

Thank you for bringing this up here. I hope someone who knows more than me about pharmacy issues will reply.

(Reply to this) (Parent)
Out of the Blue, Broker Calls Today To Offer New Plan
(Anonymous)
2007-01-08 11:44 pm UTC (link)
You will remember a while back, I posted my problems with Pacificare and the DMHC. Well, things went from bad to worse when Pacificare canceled my policy and accused me of fraud. I made the mistake of thinking that the DMHC could not rule against me on this one. Yet again, they took the side of Pacificare.

I have filed a lawsuit in November and with my lawyers agreement, issued a press release about the lawsuit. As far as I am concerned, everyone should know what they did to me so they can protect themselves.

New Lawsuit Alleges Unitedhealth/Pacificare Deceived Cancer Patient (http://prweb.com/releases/2006/11/prweb480788.htm)

Here is the link to my lawsuit (http://66.135.39.97/webcatalog/StoreBuilder/Pacificare/docfile/complaint.pdf).

Fast forward to today, and I get a call from a broker I had spoken to before Pacificare cancelled my policy who told me I could not switch insurance because of my cancer unless I wanted to pay #3,000 per month for coverage. Well, today, he calls and says that Kaiser has a new plan that is guaranteed acceptance and the monthly premium is around $450.00 per month.

Needless to say, I am skeptical especially when he said he wanted to go over the plan in person rather than send me some information first even though I asked him to send me more info twice. Anyways, I decided to meet with him tomorrow so I can find out this information. Even though I currently have no health insurance, I am not sure signing up with Kaiser would be that much different from what I have now without paying them $450 per month.

Any idea what this new plan this broker is referring to might look like?

SBD

(Reply to this) (Thread)
Re: Out of the Blue, Broker Calls Today To Offer New Plan
[info]corphq
2007-01-09 12:16 am UTC (link)
The DMHC has totally been falling down in their DUTY to defend the citizens of California against the predatory practices of HMOs. If they had been standing up for individuals instead of the Big Money Political Interests, then I'm sure HMOs would have done a lot more to police themselves. As it is, Kaiser and other HMOs have been allowed to run roughshod over people.

The $450 plan sounds very suspicious to me. This might actually be an HSA, but you'd still have to be qualified for insurance - and a lot of people have been turned down for HSAs because of pre-existing conditions. Feel free to email me any literature you get from this insurance agent. kaiser_scapegoat (at) hotmail.com.

(Reply to this) (Parent)
i already hate kaiser
(Anonymous)
2007-01-20 04:28 am UTC (link)
I've only had Kaiser for a few months. So far they've:

-told me to go to the emergency room and pay a $100 co-pay over PINKEYE
-told me I had to pay for full vision coverage, only to find out that they have 2 optometrist's offices per million residents in my city, and only 1 of those would prescribe contacts. I asked to speak with this office and I got voicemail. No one returned my call.
-I cannot access their website. Instead of doing a password reset, they said they would send me a password reminder "by mail". WTF?! That online records access their rep sold me on looks pretty f*in useless now.

I'm young and have "good" coverage. I shudder to think what "bad" coverage is.

(Reply to this) (Thread)
Re: i already hate kaiser
[info]corphq
2007-01-20 06:13 pm UTC (link)
I'm surprised Kaiser hasn't been falling all over itself to court you. Because you're young and relatively healthy, your a "moneymaker" for Kaiser. They put considerable marketing into attracting people like you!

(Reply to this) (Parent)

(6 comments) - (Post a new comment)

Create an Account
Forgot your login or password?
Login w/ OpenID
English • Español • Deutsch • Русский…