Kaiser Permanente
reviews and complaints

I have complained several times through member services regarding care, appointment delays, emergency care, and doctor care. The process is a minimum of 30 days.. The case managers send a standard letter claiming to investigate your complaint... After 30 days a standard apology letter is mailed.. With no specific resolutions to original complaint. Always just a letter stating kaiser strives to do better.. My last complaint took 3 months to get a response only to get another apology letter which did not even address the specific complaint I had about a letter I received from Kaiser Corona.. The case manager NaviJana B.. Did not bother to call me as she said she would and it is pointless to reach out to any case manager since calls are just ignored.. My original complaint was submitted in July. I received final response letter in October.. That is unacceptable. If Kaiser really cares about their members they really need to do better.

Trying to make a payment using the online service, and of course it is useless like most other insurance on line payment systems. It makes it difficult to make a payment when over the phone is at least a 45 to 70 minute wait and payments at a location is non existent. How are your members suppose to make payments when it is difficult to do so when all ways to pay are not working or have to put their lives on hold to wait on the phone or risk sending the payment and then getting told it didn't arrive or was late due to things out of their control. I don't expect a quick response, please find and fix the issue with the online payment system

I had good experiences with Kaiser in Stockton, CA, but horrible with Kaiser in Santa Cruz, CA.
I went into urgent care with an excruciating sprained ankle and could not walk without the use of cars, the hand rails, and inside Kaiser I used furniture and walls to get around.
The front desk person was rude in her tone and would not look away from her monitor to even look at me when we spoke. She saw that I was having trouble walking and was in pain but not once did she offer me a wheelchair or even a crutch. Besides, she had me come up to the counter twice - then had me walk down a long hallway and back to her desk twice to see the x-ray tech and the onsite pharmacist for my prescription. I had to walk past 5 well chairs just behind her desk area around the corner to do so yet she did offer me one once!
I was leaning on the walls and door knobs, limping, and on occasion grunting because my ankle hurt so bad to walk on it. I passed a security guard, multiple medical "professionals", and even the physician's assistant I saw did not offer me anything to assist in walking.
Eventually, after I had already walked throughout the urgent care facility and was quite frustrated, the medical assistant assigned to me asked me if I wanted a wheelchair. I say "It's a little late for that now since I've already had to walk the entire facility without help." Before I was done talking, she turned around and said "Ok." as if to just brush me off. *These are the kinds of people we can expect expert medical care from? It gets worse...
I was seen by a physician's assistant(PA)- I asked to see a doctor. The PA looked at my xrays and essentially questioned if anything was wrong with me at all. (I had already been limping around for two days and called into work bc I couldn't perform my duties). So now I'm lying...? The only reason I was there is bc my ankle hurt severely and I'm almost 50 so my wife thought it best for me to have it looked at. Now, this woman who is not a doctor is treating me like an idiot, asking me "How have you been walking on your ankle." As if there was something "I" have been doing to exacerbate the problem - if there was one at all in her opinion. She said she could not see anything wrong on the x-ray then turned the screen to show me. I had already asked the x-ray if anything regarding a sprain would show on an x-ray of bone. (The x-ray tech was a really nice guy.) He said the "Dr" would be able to see swollen tendons or ligaments, etc, and see the problem. When this PA showed me the x-ray, it only showed bone! Therefore, she could see nothing of relevance. Which was my thought in the first place and the reason I asked the x-ray tech. I said to the PA, "That x-ray only shows bone - not anything in regard to a sprained ankle." She tried to save face and to explain that sometimes she would see a "bone spur, etc..." I tried to explain again what I had been going through but she was not convinced but then gave me her "recommendation" of time off work and prescription strength Advil. She never brought up that I was also there to get a note to let my employer know why I was calling in and that I had a valid reason. I had to remind this "PA" that I needed a note before she left the room. She returned with the note, explained it, and then left the room and was off to see her next patient - me still limping behind her and her medical assistants, and numerous medical staff - still none offered me a wheelchair or even a crutch.
On the way to get my Advil, I took one of the wheelchairs that were collecting dust by the front office and used it to get my meds. During my visit to Kaiser yesterday, 7/19/21, I had walked more on my sprained ankle than I had the entire day and left neglected and with a bottle of Advil.
Are these the people we consider "essential"? To whom? Obviously to their own echo but not to their patients.
Needless to say, I won't be going back to any Kaiser of my own accord, and I will be posting this same review wherever possible. This is what happens when you deem some people's employment as "necessary" above everyone else's. You just create ego-maniacs who think they're doing you a favor while doing their job poorly. Now my Kaiser Insurance is entirely useless.
*Breakdown:
1. Pharmacist was nice - He and I had some good laughs. Very personable.
2. X-ray tech - He was great also. Also very personable and genuine.
3. Physician assistant - She was not knowledgeable, pompous, nor helpful, and made me feel like I was being dishonest about my condition. (Empathy, compassion?) This woman should not be seeing patients - at least those who want to get well and leave with any dignity.
4. Front office lady - She was rude in her tone and complacent
5. Medical assistant - She was short and complacent and cocky!

Ordered med via Website... mail order pharmacy.
Cost not listed for medication.
Contacted Pharmacy, they sent return pkg.
Items returned... and KP acknowledge receipt.
Started May 18, they said about 2 weeks...
Called many times... still no Check nor refund to Debit card.
Started as S-[protected] May 18th
then S-[protected] May 27
then S-[protected] June 17
then S-[protected] June 28th
was supposed to get a call from a case manager... no call!
Now they tell me it could be another 5-10 Bus Days...!

I was admitted into the emergency room at Kaiser. I had covid symptoms yet I was never given a covid test due to it's scarcity. My insurance was not kaiser and they sent me home with an over the counter pain reliever and no test after being in there for several hours. All they did was an ECG and vitals and told me to go home. I later visited a clinic and got tested for COVID19. I believe Kaiser did this because of my insurance. Their refusal of covid testing could have jeopardized my life.

Why would a company no longer for 1/2 of 2020 and all of 2021 no longer have a gi service in Downtown Denver

Have to schedule 25 to 35 miles away. Round trip of 50 to 70 miles. This is to get a colonoscopy. Leaders at kaiser should have more critical thinking skills.

Dermatology md was rude and I had to remind him who the customer was when it was a phone visit.

Also a couple of years ago the health side of kaiser billed the insurance side twice. I called and was told why do you care. Because this is wrong.

Called to make an appointment with my skin doctor (an active referral) to have a growth on my face removed. They claimed they would be unable to make an "In-person" appointment, but offered a "virtual" appointment instead. I was not happy to hear this as I have been trying to wait-out this corona virus [censored] for many months now. I told her she was less than helpful, due to her inept and implausible excuse for not seeing patients in person. I have been a patient there for 4 years now, and I find this unacceptable regardless of this "fake" pandemic that they are cashing in on!

I recently received an notice from a collection agency regarding a bill from Kaiser Permanente (S. Calif) for services which were provided. I have never received an invoice from Kaiser for these services. I received, via mail, a notice of services provided which specifically stated that it was not an invoice. I have also received, by mail, prescriptions from Kaiser. When I inquired why I had not received an invoice I was told I needed to verify my address. I sent an e-mail to Kaiser verifying my address but still have not received an invoice. I am receiving notifications of service and prescriptions from Kaiser but Kaiser will not provide an invoice. Why?

They sent my bill to a collection agency despite the fact that I have been making small payments each month. $30 of those payments do not show up on my bill. It appears I have not received credit for those payments. I insist on all contact via email so I have everything in writing, but they have not been willing to connect with me in that way. I cannot fill out the medical assistant form because I have not submitted my 2019 taxes yet, and they require that as part of the process.

I've been very frustrated recently when corresponding via the kp.org email system with my doctor, Claudia Ruiz. It seems that messages are being "viewed", but not responded to. I emailed my doctor on a Friday morning (I had reinjured my fractured toe), and had still not received a response by Monday at noon. This had become a medium urgent issue, so I called the advice nurse, who mentioned that she did not see the sent message to my doctor, which I found odd. The nurse emailed my doctor for me, and this time, my doctor responded back. However, I still had a follow up message for Dr. Ruiz, and sent that message back immediately thereafter. Today, I again see that my most recent sent message has been viewed, but there has been no response.

While I understand that doctors have 48 hours to respond, there are a few issues that don't add up. At least one of the messages that I emailed to my doctor was not received. Additionally, it has been very difficult to reach my doctor, so I am unsure if the lack of accessibility and slow responsiveness is more of a modern day situation, or something that is unique to my doctor. I will be looking to switch doctors after this fiasco is settled.

Perhaps there should be a system where medium-urgency messages are responded to more quickly? I'm not sure what the answer is. But while I sit here in pain and refresh my browser hoping to see my doctor's message, I just wanted to express my frustration with this process.

I am very shocked and disappointed in a commercial I just saw which shows a 'Drag Queen Story Hour'. For a company that is supposedly concerned with people's health, have you even considered the health of the children exposed to these "men"? This is anything but healthy for these very impressionable young children. There has even been talk of these predators grooming these children for sex and looking for communities with the least resistance to their agenda. Yes, they have an agenda.
I am by no means saying that Kaiser should discriminate against them as customers, just don't promote their perverse behavior as normal. My comments will most likely fall on deaf ears, but it needed to be addressed.

I had to go to the emergency room on Oahu, Hawaii in February 2019 while I was on vacation. I had a horrible stomach virus (maybe food poisoning--it was never officially diagnosed). I spent about 60-90 minutes in a room after finally being checked in (I wasn't keeping track of time and was dozing quite a bit). A nurse took my blood pressure, and ultimately it was decided that they would give me an anti--nausea pill to see if that would help the vomiting before giving me IV fluids. (I was trying to reduce cost, ) The medicine kicked in after about 30 minutes. They brought me water to sip on and the nurse took my blood pressure one more time. I went downstairs to get a prescription for more anti-nausea and left. Several months later, I received a bill for approximately $189, which I paid. It is now October, and today I received a bill for an additional $497 for that same visit. I stopped paying my premiums to KP in the spring after I became so angry with them over so many billing problems the past several years that I simply couldn't stand wasting my time on the phone with them anymore. Why am I getting a second bill for a visit that happened eight months ago? And why in the world would one anti-nausea pill and a nurse taking my blood pressure twice cost almost $800? The doctor basically ignored me for over an hour. He came in to ask me a few questions and I never saw him again. This is utterly ridiculous. Kaiser is the worst when it comes to billing issues.
It's too bad because the care I received locally in my home state of Oregon has always been very good. However, I will never purchase an insurance policy through Kaiser ever again. I would like an itemized list of exactly what everything cost that day and why I'm being billed a second time eight months after the ER visit.

My husband Robert Bales died at the Fontana facility on 04/10/19...I have now just had the mindset to write..it does him no good at this point but we want it known that his Primary Dr..at the Del Rosa Clinic Solomon Abila ignored symptoms and complaints of side pain and back pain, that turned out to be stage 4 liver cancer. Robert went no less than 3 times with said complaints of pain.. Dr. Abila attributed it to a disc in his back. Robert asked for X-rays initially of his side pain, which had the beginning stages of swelling ..Dr Abila told him ..you are right handed and each visit kept saying it was a pulled muscle..that's why ..also Dr Abila changed Robert's blood pressure meds that contained an ingredient he was allergic to and was clearly stated on his medical file..
The last appointment he had with Abila his feet were beginning to swell.. he told Abila but he ignored him and walked out of the room..I then switched Robert to the Colton Clinic by now his legs were very swollen and leaking..Dr Tran his new Primary was concerned and searching for answers..Sent Robert home with follow up appointment...soon after his stomach became very swollen..went back again to Colton Clinic saw Dr Smith he sent us immediately to the hospital, he had stated to us that Robert had chirrosis of the liver 15 years ago! After years of being under Dr Abilas care this was never mentioned..if we had known we would have made sure Robert was being monitored...I feel if he could have been monitored all along the outcome would be different..with a very heavy Soul I report this, thank you for your time..whoever you may be..

I want to make a complain to a representative of Kaiser Permanente. July 8, 2019, I called around 5-6 pm to make sure if my daughter was discharged already. The rep whom I forgot to ask his name was so rude, he just simply said " I don't see her name in room 304, first of all he should verified it connect me to the nurses station. Instead he was pissed off & hung up on me. I called again & asked him if he hung up on me " he said on a reverse psychology " did you hang up? I was so upset @ that time but to ignore this guy who's so unprofessional. Second incident I called today July 17, 2019, Wednesday, I called the Apria @ around 6:30 pm to find out my daughter's wheelchair ETA, I pressed 1 so the automated voicemail will connect me to Kaiser. I talked to this guy named Pho, he asked my daughter's name then my address, after giving my exact address he told me to repeat my address because according to him I have a strong ACCENT! So I gave my address again, but was offended to what he told me. I asked him why he mentioned the word accent, that's discrimination. He said he thought that I came from Jamaica, carribean etc, when I said I'm from the Philippines, he laughed so loud! I was so pissed off, I told him what's funny? It's bec I'm Filipino . He apologized but too late. I remained calm & professional. I like Kaiser, we're a member since 2006 but can not tolerate this guy who was so rude & very unprofessional. I hope you resolve this issue ASAP. Thank you