Thank you for all the kind words and suggestions that were posted in my previous posting. Sorry it took me a long time before I give any update.
After writing that post, I searched and searched for any information and then I found a forum where in 1 of their topics is about people with Kaiser. From there I met a coupe of ladies who helped me and gave me more information that I have ever had from Kaiser itself. That is how sucky Kaiser's system is. 1 of the ladies through her contacts, hooked me up with another hospital instead of Anaheim branch that I have been using (trying to use!) all these while.
I called the number and was rather frustrated that it went to voicemail. Iv been through that before and I said to myself, not again. Then a call came in and it was a nurse from that branch that I just called. She said they have actually been trying to return my call but somehow they encountered some problem which I dont remember what it was anymore. I was given another set of number and a couple of names that I should speak to when I call. So I called the number and spoke to another nurse who did not even ask for a referral nor if either one of us smoke. She just scheduled us for an infertility class which may sound weird to you (and me!) but it is part of Kaiser's weird regulation that you have to go through if you're trying to get pregnant. So, we now have an appointment for early next month. I can't thank the ladies enough for their help.
Thank you again to everybody for being there for me. I hope that would be my last heartache and headache with Kaiser. To all who is trying to get pregnant, if you're with Kaiser California, DO NOT go to Anaheim branch. Their people suck! And as for my doctor, Im disappointed that instead of being on my side and help me, all that she said to me was, "Im sorry for the misunderstanding and good luck". Misunderstanding? Are you on drugs doctor?
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Showing posts with label kaiser. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kaiser. Show all posts
Kaiser Still Sucks Big Time
Remember my earlier post here on how bad Kaiser's service is? Well, here I am, 2 effing years later and still going through this shit.
If you are new here, please do check my earlier post first to get the 'feel' of the situation. You know? Of how fuckingtastic the health services in the US is in general and Kaiser's services in particular?
Firstly, let me tell you that all the doctors that I have seen at Kaiser are pretty good. I have nothing against them. But they are 'just' doctors there. They see you once you get the appointment. They are not part of the scheduling system. The system is created so that you almost always talk to a different people. Send and reply to an email 5 times, you will be replied by 5 different people.
Anyways, I went to get my papsmear done on Tue and also to get the referral for infertility treatment. When asked by my family doctor, I admitted that Michael is a smoker. I was told to call the member service (1-888 number) to make and appointment. Called and was given a 'direct number' that I have to call for the said appointment which I did. Actually I have been calling that number for god-knows how many times prior to that and have left numerous messages. Not one call was answered and not one message returned. My call that day was no different. No one answered so I left a voicemail leaving all my contact details and such.
That evening I called the member services (1-888 number) again and that was when I found out that my referral has been cancelled by my doctor. Imagine my shock! Stress Level 6. So I immediately emailed my doctor to find out what is going on. It was around 3pm then so I didn't get any reply until the next morning. Guess what she said? My referral was cancelled by the Infertility Department, you know the one who didn't answer nor return any of my calls. And the reason given to my doctor was that Michael is a smoker. Basically, they are saying (through my doctor) that since Michael is a smoker, they are denying me a treatment! Stress Level 10! The best part is, I found out from another Kaiser member that she and her husband were smokers but they went through their treatment with no problem. Can I say, I smell DISCRIMINATION here? Yes my friends, Kaiser Permenante is discriminating us.
But my nightmare is not over yet. Just now I called member service again to make an appointment for Michael to do his sperm count. Before that let me get this straight.
1. I am a patient = We are paying monthly to Kaiser even if we dont see them and still paying when we do see the doctor.
2. Member service = works with Kaiser therefore knows what to do. (shouldn't they?)
So I told the bitchy didn't-get-serviced-last-night member service that I want to schedule an appointment for Michael to do sperm count. Then she told me that ok she has put in the request for the test and the doctor will decide if Michael needs to see a doctor or can just take the test (or something to that effect). Then I said, so he doesn't need an appointment to do the sperm count? The bitch then flipped on me telling me that I didn't ask for an appointment and that if I need an appointment she can schedule it now in a tone that deserved a bitch-slap. Like ..... WHAT. THE. FUCK?????
At that point my blood is already boiling but I keep reminding myself that in the US you can't curse or scream or maki them eventhough they are fucking rude and/or fucking stupid. (That is why we have fucking stupid people like her still earning thousand of dollars using high premium that people like us are paying monthly) I took a (very)deep breath and slowly said to her, "You just told me that you have put in the request for my husband and that the doctor will decide if he needs to see a doctor or can take the test without seeing one. Why are you asking me if I need an appointment?". Still with a patronising and rude tone, she said that I asked for a test not an appointment. To which I repeated what I said earlier and yet she continued on and on about a test and an appointment. I have no freaking idea what she was talking about. Does any of you understand what she was talking about? Stress Level ~
If Michael only needs to do a test without seeing a doctor, doesn't that mean that he needs an appointment date for that? Is making an appointment for a test is not an 'appointment'? Don't be rude to me because I have no fucking idea about the terminology and/or jargons that you are using for each and every procedures or if I am using the 'wrong' word for the 'wrong' procedures. By the way, the call was made today around 2.30pm pacific time.
If you are new here, please do check my earlier post first to get the 'feel' of the situation. You know? Of how fuckingtastic the health services in the US is in general and Kaiser's services in particular?
Firstly, let me tell you that all the doctors that I have seen at Kaiser are pretty good. I have nothing against them. But they are 'just' doctors there. They see you once you get the appointment. They are not part of the scheduling system. The system is created so that you almost always talk to a different people. Send and reply to an email 5 times, you will be replied by 5 different people.
Anyways, I went to get my papsmear done on Tue and also to get the referral for infertility treatment. When asked by my family doctor, I admitted that Michael is a smoker. I was told to call the member service (1-888 number) to make and appointment. Called and was given a 'direct number' that I have to call for the said appointment which I did. Actually I have been calling that number for god-knows how many times prior to that and have left numerous messages. Not one call was answered and not one message returned. My call that day was no different. No one answered so I left a voicemail leaving all my contact details and such.
That evening I called the member services (1-888 number) again and that was when I found out that my referral has been cancelled by my doctor. Imagine my shock! Stress Level 6. So I immediately emailed my doctor to find out what is going on. It was around 3pm then so I didn't get any reply until the next morning. Guess what she said? My referral was cancelled by the Infertility Department, you know the one who didn't answer nor return any of my calls. And the reason given to my doctor was that Michael is a smoker. Basically, they are saying (through my doctor) that since Michael is a smoker, they are denying me a treatment! Stress Level 10! The best part is, I found out from another Kaiser member that she and her husband were smokers but they went through their treatment with no problem. Can I say, I smell DISCRIMINATION here? Yes my friends, Kaiser Permenante is discriminating us.
But my nightmare is not over yet. Just now I called member service again to make an appointment for Michael to do his sperm count. Before that let me get this straight.
1. I am a patient = We are paying monthly to Kaiser even if we dont see them and still paying when we do see the doctor.
2. Member service = works with Kaiser therefore knows what to do. (shouldn't they?)
So I told the bitchy didn't-get-serviced-last-night member service that I want to schedule an appointment for Michael to do sperm count. Then she told me that ok she has put in the request for the test and the doctor will decide if Michael needs to see a doctor or can just take the test (or something to that effect). Then I said, so he doesn't need an appointment to do the sperm count? The bitch then flipped on me telling me that I didn't ask for an appointment and that if I need an appointment she can schedule it now in a tone that deserved a bitch-slap. Like ..... WHAT. THE. FUCK?????
At that point my blood is already boiling but I keep reminding myself that in the US you can't curse or scream or maki them eventhough they are fucking rude and/or fucking stupid. (That is why we have fucking stupid people like her still earning thousand of dollars using high premium that people like us are paying monthly) I took a (very)deep breath and slowly said to her, "You just told me that you have put in the request for my husband and that the doctor will decide if he needs to see a doctor or can take the test without seeing one. Why are you asking me if I need an appointment?". Still with a patronising and rude tone, she said that I asked for a test not an appointment. To which I repeated what I said earlier and yet she continued on and on about a test and an appointment. I have no freaking idea what she was talking about. Does any of you understand what she was talking about? Stress Level ~
If Michael only needs to do a test without seeing a doctor, doesn't that mean that he needs an appointment date for that? Is making an appointment for a test is not an 'appointment'? Don't be rude to me because I have no fucking idea about the terminology and/or jargons that you are using for each and every procedures or if I am using the 'wrong' word for the 'wrong' procedures. By the way, the call was made today around 2.30pm pacific time.
Kaiser SUCKS!
I am so mad at the so-called customer service at Kaiser Permanente. As some of you know, we're trying to get pregnant. My nightmare started the moment I made the phone call for my appointment.
Medical care in the US is so different from Malaysia. Although I have never needed a gynae then, I do know that if you're trying to get pregnant, you just go and make an appointment to see one. So after telling the customer service what I want (to get/go thru fertility treatment), I was finally given a date, a month and a half away from the day that I called. I was told that they would send me a reminder about my appointment. Did they? NO. Fine ......
On the day of my appointment, June 25, i found out that I was seeing a certified nurse midwife (CNM). (Can someone please highlight me if a cnm is a gynae? Im serious. I really need someone to tell me if there's a diff between those 2) Since Iv already done my paps smear 2 mths earlier so I didn need to take another one. All that she has to do is put my name in the computer to sign me up for the fertility class or something like that. (for that we parted with $30 for our co-pay) Iwas told that somebody would call me to set the appointment date for the class. Sounds familiar? Of course nobody called.
So earlier today, I called the customer service (her name is Angela) again hoping that THEY will do something about it or at least let me know what the hell is going on in their multi-million dollar facilities. I am not easily angered if I get the service that I expected. And that's the key-word. SERVICE. When I pay for a service, I expect that I would have to do the minimum and THEY, do the rest. Imagine how I felt when i was told to call the CNM myself to find out what happened to my appointment and that the call never came? I let all my dissatisfaction known to her. She, on the other hand told me to contact the CNM myself. Basically telling me tht its my duty to make sure that THEY give me a call so that I get the appointment that I needed. Does that even make sense? And to make my blood-go-upstairs even more, since I keep questioning her why I need to do all that, she rudely just said to me, "im going to tranfer your call to the doctor's voicemail now" and thats it. She just transfered my call. Anak haram sungguh! Pardon my language.
Dealing with the insurance/medical here is like walking in a maze. Its just so frustratingly frustrating. And I still dont know what is it that we have to do or need before we can actually get the treatment that we want. Or if even need any treatment.
Medical care in the US is so different from Malaysia. Although I have never needed a gynae then, I do know that if you're trying to get pregnant, you just go and make an appointment to see one. So after telling the customer service what I want (to get/go thru fertility treatment), I was finally given a date, a month and a half away from the day that I called. I was told that they would send me a reminder about my appointment. Did they? NO. Fine ......
On the day of my appointment, June 25, i found out that I was seeing a certified nurse midwife (CNM). (Can someone please highlight me if a cnm is a gynae? Im serious. I really need someone to tell me if there's a diff between those 2) Since Iv already done my paps smear 2 mths earlier so I didn need to take another one. All that she has to do is put my name in the computer to sign me up for the fertility class or something like that. (for that we parted with $30 for our co-pay) Iwas told that somebody would call me to set the appointment date for the class. Sounds familiar? Of course nobody called.
So earlier today, I called the customer service (her name is Angela) again hoping that THEY will do something about it or at least let me know what the hell is going on in their multi-million dollar facilities. I am not easily angered if I get the service that I expected. And that's the key-word. SERVICE. When I pay for a service, I expect that I would have to do the minimum and THEY, do the rest. Imagine how I felt when i was told to call the CNM myself to find out what happened to my appointment and that the call never came? I let all my dissatisfaction known to her. She, on the other hand told me to contact the CNM myself. Basically telling me tht its my duty to make sure that THEY give me a call so that I get the appointment that I needed. Does that even make sense? And to make my blood-go-upstairs even more, since I keep questioning her why I need to do all that, she rudely just said to me, "im going to tranfer your call to the doctor's voicemail now" and thats it. She just transfered my call. Anak haram sungguh! Pardon my language.
Dealing with the insurance/medical here is like walking in a maze. Its just so frustratingly frustrating. And I still dont know what is it that we have to do or need before we can actually get the treatment that we want. Or if even need any treatment.
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