Phone Appointments At Kaiser...

[1stwahine]

Aloha! For the past several days I have been not feeling well. mentally fine, physically shot. I assumed it was from drinking on Saturday. Anyway's, I called Kaiser to make an appointment with my Doc. I've been going to Kaiser before my son was born and that is about 30+ years! I told the operator what time and she said, 1:00 pm. Luckily, she informed me that it was a Phone Appointment and DOC will call me at 1:00 p.m., my allotted time with her. I waited and sure enough she called exactly at 1:00 pm. She asked all the questions as in the office and then told me to go to the hospital. I like this new system they have at Kaiser. It saves driving time, finding a parking space, and waiting in the waiting room - an easy prey for other things patients are suffering from. The appointment operator accesses the call first to see if it can be a phone consult or needs evaluating by the doctor in person, when and if it is an emergency that can not wait for an appointment. Will there be a day when all we do is go online and tell what aches us, print out our RX and have it delivered by messenger to our front door. You can bet on it!

[Linkmeister]

Re: Phone Appointments At Kaiser...

For my $289 a month they ought to come get me for appointments.

[pzarquon]

Re: Phone Appointments At Kaiser...

$289 a month? You should see what the family plan costs. Hell, you should see what HMSA used to charge me!

Still, I pay. One life-changing experience where insurance saves you from a $120,000 bill will change your perspective pretty quick!

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Phone Appointments At Kaiser...

Oh yeah. One decent hospital stay, and your monthly premiums seem like a bargain.

[1stwahine]

Re: Phone Appointments At Kaiser...

For my $289 a month they ought to come get me for appointments.

We use to pay for the family plan, had a great life, one daughter in a well known Private School...till my late husband was diagnosed with Lou Gerigh's Disease. We had to exhaust all our funds before Medicaid could help us! $289.00 a month ain't nothing to what you can lose. All it takes is one devastating accident or a disease. Be grateful it's that amount...I still like the new concept of having phone appointments!

[Linkmeister]

Re: Phone Appointments At Kaiser...

My gripe is that it's gone up about $130/month in three years or so.

I had knee surgery twice in a week (same knee, long story) on HMSA's COBRA plan. That cost me about $1,000 out of pocket. The total bill was about $22,000. I'm well aware of what can happen; it's just that the premiums keep going up despite stories in the paper about their profits rising at 10% a year. I keep thinking "couldn't you just take 5% and leave the 'members' a little cash for a change?"

[1stwahine]

Re: Phone Appointments At Kaiser...

My gripe is that it's gone up about $130/month in three years or so.

I had knee surgery twice in a week (same knee, long story) on HMSA's COBRA plan. That cost me about $1,000 out of pocket. The total bill was about $22,000. I'm well aware of what can happen; it's just that the premiums keep going up despite stories in the paper about their profits rising at 10% a year. I keep thinking "couldn't you just take 5% and leave the 'members' a little cash for a change?"

Like everything else that is supposed to be regulated...let's take it to the Legislator. But then again (puke), their confused. Look what happened yesterday, voting on FROGS! What happened to DRUGS and Illegal Activities? Promises, Promises...getting back to the topic or insurance in general...the Seniors get hurt the most! Work all their lives and when they get old, most of their money goes to medicine and doctors. Everytime I take my 80 yr. old MAMA, it costs $ 75.00 and then theres the meds. Auwe! I'm so glad I don't believe in Care Homes...that alone can drain everything too. I know where you're coming from and I totally agree with you!