I am really baffled and confused by how KP (Kaiser Permanente) is handling things - can anyone offer some guidance?

I used to have the university-provided insurance (Aetna) while attending college in New York. I was diagnosed with ADHD in NY, and both the university and the standardized testing center (Prometric) accepted my diagnosis (which allowed me to receive testing accommodations). Due to my husband's job, we had to move to California (near Berkeley), and we chose KP for our insurance. That’s when the nightmare began.

During my first visit with my primary care physician, I mentioned that I had already been diagnosed with ADHD and wanted to obtain medication (vyvanse) to continue my previous treatment. She hinted that many people fake ADHD symptoms to get drugs, so I would need to see a psychiatrist. I received a referral to see a psychiatrist (scheduled for about two weeks later). However, on the day of the scheduled video appointment, the doctor suddenly cancelled, and the website instructed me to call and book a new slot myself.

After calling, I first scheduled a one-hour video consultation with a psychologist, who asked me a series of questions. She then told me I needed to provide my previous ADHD reports, undergo a urine test, and complete multiple questionnaires (including one for my husband). After I finished all these requirements, she went silent; it took another week or two before she told me the next step was a two-hour testing session with a psychologist for an evaluation. The earliest available appointment isn't until September, and the wait times between steps are incredibly long.

I don't want to be a "problem patient," but I’m wondering: for someone already diagnosed with ADHD, is there no way to skip the re-evaluation process and go straight to treatment? Can I request a different psychologist? (Her efficiency is so poor that the waiting is driving me crazy.) I don't want to waste so much time just waiting around. Alternatively, can anyone recommend a facility where they accept my previous report and I can get a prescription? I’m willing to pay out-of-pocket if the cost is reasonable - I just don't want to keep dragging this out with KP.

An itemized bill for several blood tests and a vaccine I had were sent initially to me the first month, but then two months in a row to my father - who is not listed anywhere on my account.

The bills explicitly list all of the tests I was given at my visit.
My father has not been a member of Kaiser since 2018/2019.
I am 22, and have my own plan. He is not listed as a family member where it lists those connected to your account, or as an emergency contact. I looked everywhere, but couldn't find anything that listed him.

The EOB associated only shows my name, and my number as the account holder.
Membership Relationship to Subscriber: Self
Account Holder Name and Identification: (my name) (my record number)

If anyone knows the areas specifically on Kaisers site I can check to look for his contact information please let me know, but I clicked through a majority of the menus that seemed relevant to billing, contact, family info, records, etc.

My mother is the only person I can find listed on my account authorized to receive information, which exists from when I was a child. She is who would previously receive my bills when I received care from Kaiser as a child from ~2016-2018/2019.

They also called my father today to try and get money for the bill.
When asked why they contacted him, they claimed we had an active family plan with them that included me, my mother, and my sister (27). They told him the policy was active and assured him that we all had active coverage. He called immediately back and provided the info that was on the bill, and they said it was a billing error with old information, and this plan did not actually exist.

I also cannot view this bill on my account. My account shows no outstanding balance to be paid.

While doing this I was blocked from downloading a copy of my medical records and received the error usually shown to children trying to download the records, or an adult trying to access a teens records - which is seemed odd, and I'm unsure if that is related.

I'm going to call to get this all figured out, but 2 other people claimed this happened to them last month and everyone told them it was not a HIPAA violation.
Does that apply in this case ? I would just like to know whether or not this is something that should potentially be reported.

I was supposed to go to a gynecologist after that appointment but wasn't able to get in - I'm also wondering if they would've sent him an itemized bill for that too had they had availability for me. Just seems really weird they can do something like that :/

Would love to hear from people who were able to get breast reduction surgery done at the KP So Cal region and covered by their KP insurance.

-What were the criteria/conditions you needed to meet for coverage?
-Is there a specific surgeon you would recommend?
-Do you like the final result from an artistic/body image perspective?
-How was your pre-op/post-op experience?

So I started applying to hospitals since I recently became a CPhT and Kaiser is a hospital that’s nearby but I heard that there’s basically no way of getting in unless someone internally refers you🧍‍♂️ is that true? I’m coming from retail and have some hospital experience since I work at a behavioral health hospital but they don’t do any compounding or iv infusion there sadly

Hello,

Does anyone have experience with Kaiser's fertility process in Orange County? I'm trying to get an idea of how long the process takes and what to expect.
I had my initial virtual appointment with the reproductive endocrinologist, and my husband and I have already completed all of our lab work. When I called to schedule my in-person follow up, I was told the wait is 8–12 weeks because there's only one fertility specialist serving all of Orange County, which honestly surprised me for such a large county.

I'd really like to hear about others experiences. What happened after your follow up appointment? Did you end up doing IUI or IVF? From what I've read, Kaiser contracts out to outside IVF clinics, so I'm curious how that worked out for you.
Any insights would be greatly appreciated!

Hi! Any local part time pharmacy clerks for Kaiser Permanente in Southern California!? I had a question for part timers about how they schedule you. I noticed the par time shows variable for shifts and doesn’t specify a start and end time. Upon hiring do they ask what your availability is and schedule you according to that or do you have to be available all the time? Also I thought most pharmacies are closed major holidays but are some open?

I’m currently a student and for my CNA program I need to get a physical exam document filled out by a doctor, NP, or PA. Kaiser has been putting me through a loop, I found out that I can no longer schedule a physical and have them fill out the form, not even with my own primary care doctor. I was redirected to the occupational medicine department but when I called they said they couldn’t help me. They could only schedule me an appointment if my employer sends in a request then I can schedule an appointment. Since I’m a student and my program doesn’t do that they said oh well sorry and good luck. Now I have no idea what to do, I still need this physical exam form filled out and I’d also need one in the future for any other programs I apply to. I love Kaiser!

The feature to communicate via email with my providers is suddenly missing. It states I do not have access to this feature. The link to contact the Kp. Org site manager leads to the broken link. How can I get this feature restored?

Hi I applied at Kaiser Permanente in SOCAL I got this update today from my application status do you guys know what will happen next? haven't heard anything yet from the recruiter

Some of my applications say no longer in consideration and others say complete (it’s been 1-2 weeks since I’ve done the virtual interview for one, and a few days just for a simple questionnaire). Could it mean that I am still in the running for these positions if the other positions have been getting denied? Looking for new grad lvn jobs here in socal is difficult. Even nursing homes are sending out denials!

Just received Kaiser email concerning my annual exam.

At your annual routine wellness visit, Dr.********* would like to take the time to update your personalized prevention plan and health goals for the year

The doctor may check to make sure the heart, lungs, and other body systems are working properly. The doctor will probably ask questions about your daily routine, medical history, your medications, as well as take certain routine measurements like height, weight, and blood pressure. He/she may also provide information about KP health education resources that are now available to you and may fit into your personalized treatment plan.

 I hadn't spoken to my PCP in 5 years. I have never heard about annual wellness exams.

I have a question for anyone who might have some insight: I am being treated for atypical migraines and I haven’t gotten good care from the “headache specialist” NP mainly because my migraines aren’t primarily head pain. When I asked my primary to see a real neurologist, she told me that Kaiser doesn’t really have neurology treat migraines of any kind and I would likely get bounced back to her.

Now, I’ve caught my Dr in little white lies before - she’s said that Kaiser doesn’t “carry” a drug when they could get it but it’s not preferred and stocked regularly.

So I’m wondering if this is true or she’s going everything she can to keep me out of the specialist’s hair cause I’m not important enough for them to bother with. My doc has worked for Kaiser for years so I don’t know if she’s giving me the company line or just being honest about how things will go. Thanks for any help!

I have Kaiser in Georgia and my kid is attending college in a non-Kaiser state. She is very healthy and last year we simply showed her Kaiser card and they waived the requirement to pay for the college provided student health program. This year, we are getting more of a hassle from the school because normal well visits/vaccines are not covered while at college - so they want us to pay the school for their insurance too. Given all the virtual care options, why would my child need another insurance?

KP covers Urgent and Emergency care in non-KP states. My kid just had an annual well check (and will not have another for a year). Virtual care is available if she needs to see a doc. The only thing that would not be covered is vaccines - which we paid out of pocket for her flu & COVID shots last year since the vaccine comes out after she leaves for school.

Can someone help me understand?

Update to add info from questions posted:

Prescriptions are covered in her KP plan - even when filled out of state. They will deliver refills by mail and for new prescriptions there are several pharmacies within walking distance.

The schools rejection of her insurance was based on wellness checks - they said that since KP is not offered in their state - her routine care would not be available. We have pointed out the virtual visits and everything else that covers her.

She is attending college in a state that allows out-of-state providers to deliver telemedicine under strict standard-of-care guidelines. She can do a phone or video visit 24/7 as well as an evitis. If the Kaiser doctor determines during the virtual visit that she requires an in-person evaluation, she is covered to visit any local urgent care clinic or emergency room. Additionally, she can visit any MinuteClinic, Concentra, or Cigna PPO provider.

School offered insurance (for their on campus student center) - I would just but the schools student insurance but a few of her friends had it last year and she said they could not get prompt appointments at the student center.

Finally, in her first aid kit we sent COVID, Flu and Strep tests - so she can self-test and if positive - she can retest herself while on a video visit.

Hi everyone.

I am interested in becoming a housekeeping attendant as a position is just open today. But I would like some guidance as to what to put on my résumé. I have two references that I could use as well. But I know that Kaiser has a keyword system that looks for keywords on your résumé so what keywords and phrases do I put on my résumé? Thank you.

TLDR: How long till I can transfer location to somewhere that will give me more hours.

Hey guys currently working as MA. 24hr per week. Would be really cool if I can transfer to a new location that provides extra hours. What are the requirements? I’ll ask google & it’ll tell me it’s about one year before I can start thinking about transfers but possibly less if it’s for an increase in hours; then I’ll dig for more information & I’ll read that it’s wrong it’s still 1 year. My commute is pretty heft right now so one year sound extremely depressing.

I meet the criteria and want to ask my PCP to process the form. If she refuses, can I ask a different Dr like my gastroenterologist? Or, can I challenge my PCPs refusal in some way?
Oh me of little faith -- every request I make of her is an uphill battle. No I don't want to switch to different PCP because I suspect all Kaiser PCPs are like this. Mine is head of dept and responds to emails in less than 24hrs. And she usually comes around if I push.
Thanks

I recently got a job offer with local government but it's contingent on passing a pre-employment exam with Kaiser's Occupational Health. What does this involve? I already gave my 2 weeks notice, but now I'm nervous. I currently hold the same job with an adjacent county and am physically able to do everything, but I'm worried that medical history (previous surgery years ago) might disqualify me for some reason. Is this something I should be worried about?

Hi all, I’ve used the Next Day Delivery before and ive had no issues at all but, this time was different. I ordered a new prescription for Next Day Delivery on Tuesday morning and it was sent out around noon . I went to go check on the day when it would be here and it says Friday and it was shipped with FedEx 2day instead of Priority Overnight? I called Member Services and the Mail Order Pharmacy and they said they cant do anything about it and “its changed since last time.” Thats crap because the last time was in September, I ordered Next Day it was Priority Overnight, NOT FedEx 2Day. What should I do?

After an at home sleep study, I was prescribed a CPAP with AdaptHealth as the DME. I just received the documentation authorization and approval for the devices.

Will AdaptHealth reach out to me or will it be Kaiser? If so, when? Or what will happen next? What would be timeline I should expect to have a machine at my door or be able to pick up?

I am struggling so bad with sleep and it is taking a toll on me physically and mentally.

I've had Kaiser for 5-10 years now, on and off, and I recently used telehealth to get a first-time prescription. I thought this would be easy enough within the Kaiser system, but then I needed additional blood tests, and one of the test results was "mildly elevated," which triggered another test for which I wasn't sure of the cost. The process became unwieldy, and I wanted to get started on treatment, so I turned to a third-party, non-KP telehealth platform.

Once I signed up, the platform imported my entire Kaiser record within 45 minutes, and within 2 hours, I had a 30-minute meeting with a super-helpful NP, who wrote me a script and explained all of my lab results.

What struck me is that it wasn't that expensive. The visit was $100, the follow-up labs in 3 months will be less than my lab co-pay, and the prescription cost was higher, but only when compared with Kaiser's mail program; to go to the pharmacy would have been more expensive.

I'm just curious if anyone else has had any positive or negative experiences with telehealth outside of Kaiser. It seems like a viable alternative for higher-end co-pays and dealing with Kaiser's bureaucracy.

Edited for clarity.

An investigation published July 9 by CalMatters documented call monitoring, predictive productivity software and monthly performance scores used on Kaiser Permanente advice nurses in California. Interviews with seven current and former nurses found that staff are questioned about calls lasting more than 15 minutes and receive monthly scores tracking their speed and activity. Software also records active and inactive time and attempts to predict whether nurses are unproductive or answering too slowly.

Pa Vue, a call center nurse and union representative, recalled having her score reduced after repeating advice to a patient whose symptoms suggested a possible heart problem. She had also seen scores fall when nurses departed from software recommendations. Raquel Alvarez Sanchez remained on the telephone with a suicidal patient for more than an hour until police arrived, knowing the call would affect her average handling time for weeks. As a union steward, she has accompanied colleagues to performance meetings after calls that were handled correctly except for exceeding 15 minutes.

Another nurse withheld the additional time and compassion she believed an elderly patient needed after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis because she feared damaging her score and being reprimanded. Nurses said they are told to limit themselves to two or three pieces of advice, although calls requiring an interpreter routinely take more than 30 minutes.