Kaiser Permanente Reviews 273

First, all the doctors I've seen are great, and all the staff is great. That said, I've been dealing with severe neck and back pain that wakes me up several times every single night since February 2025. Every time I make an appointment, it's a month out. Talk to doctor, MRI scheduled MRI in March. No findings, talk to doctor, 2nd MRI schedule in April. Neck issues, scheduled visit with neck specialist in May. Shot recommended, appointment in June. WTF. ALWAYS ONE MONTH AWAY.

IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR QUICK SOLUTIONS, FORGET KAISER. IT WON'T HAPPEN.

Apparently and quite evidently the emerging culture at Kaiser is to isolate themselves from their patients. Build a sort of “East German wall” around Kaiser versus their patients. I have Medicare.
The website redesign no longer allows you to contact your "care team", the latter does not exist anymore, respectively is no longer accessible. You have a simple [follow-up or not] question, you need to schedule an appointment. Which you will get Canadian style somewhere in the future. The primary care must be instructed to be at least minimalist as I have never heard so many Russian style "net" (no) a.k.a. denied, denied, denied, for any concerns or questions I had.
Example: having a serious loss of vision issue, the answer received was, eat more green vegetables… Or diagnosing a serious developing condition in an eye as “mild” referencing the other eye! More and more it appears like an F you minimalist cost-saving culture is taking hold. I start to wonder does one have to first suffer some great injury or even death in order to get care?
From the prescription medications I get, all of them are generic (cheaper) or the effective ones I read about and want, denied. In one case I was told to jut double the doses. Yet the online system does not allow me to reorder as I told to double my doses, thus need to take twice as many tablets, the system quibbling “It's too soon to order this prescription. It was last filled on 04/02/2025 and can be ordered again on 04/14/2025.” (One recent phenomenon being that all of a sudden my refills are only 15 tablets). The KP pharmacist in the meantime went on vacation and will be available after 15, apparently having no acting replacement place. Nobody cared about that.
I wonder what an organ transplant patient would do with having two dozen pills to pop every day, never ever skipping a dose…!
So the esteemed reader might think why don’t you file “Grievance complaint with Kaiser”.
Sure, you think you’re going to get a response or reaction? Again, you probably have to die first. (Wouldn’t surprise me if they would then say one should have come earlier…)
There is much more and too much to write here, but worthwhile to write up in an extensive legal complaint! I find this nickel and dime and non-reaction absolutely unacceptable and unprofessional! The new “you are being closed out” culture makes all dramatically even more worse.
It appears there's not enough profit for Kaiser and/or shareholders.

I seriously considered quitting and finding another hopefully better healthcare coverage as this has become completely unacceptable and I feel neglected and physically as well mentally mistreated for any health issues I have.

David Lee,MD new to Kaiser and fantastic. I have severe arthritis in my knees. I was barely walking the pain was crippling. Dr. Lee Xrayed and ultrasound my knees immediately. Within an hour I was walking out of office with no cane..pain reduced by 80%. He's smart, caring and his white Dr coat should have a SUPER HERO cape. Thank you Dr Lee

I’ve had it with Keiser! They only give one general phone number to call no matter where you are in the country. No one can help. No way to talk to clinic offices without driving to one which are miles and miles from most people. Pay the extra few dollars a month and go with someone who really cares.

I broke my thumb this past weekend. The doctors said no physical activity that involves contact, which means pretty much nothing. HOWEVER, when I went to the orthopedist, she said that my thumb wasn't that bad, and I was clear to do any activities. These people suck. They made me miss a full week of lacrosse, and a fun game during PE. Kaiser sucks.

Great personal attention and careful consideration of the problem.

It took 3 months for my membership to become active and by that point I was already coincidentally preparing to move to a different state, meaning I now have to start the whole process again in a new state. I am in need of intensive psychological care and I am suffering without treatment because of a lack of basic urgency and user-friendliness in the member services department.

I have Kaiser Medicare HMO and it comes with a quarterly $90 Medline benefit of OTC items. Problem is most of the products are valued at full price but are not really 'quality' products: cheap dental floss which reminds each time I floss the cheap quality. I had to wait 9-12 months before they finally woke up and restocked a Vit B+ complex vitamin, why? Why do I get the feeling of ordering from a barely stocked online warehouse website. There are photos on the website but the items n-e-v-e-r seem to be or ever will be available. Right now, I need a a heating pad. I was advised Medline used to carry a heating pad but 'Kaiser' removed it as an available item, why? That is an item many PT advise to use. I don't want a hot water bottle (bulky) nor do I want some sticky pad on my back, only to have to deal with trying to remove a tacky sticky gunky mess off my back later. They have decent name brand Curad bandages you can order. A friend of mine has a different Medicare plan which also has a similar quarterly benefit ($150). His catalogue has all manner of name brand quality items with an extensive listing of available items to order when compared to the empty bare minimum Kaiser Medline catalogue. Shame.

Dr Smelik was put on administrative duty, relieved of patient care duty in late 2024. He was head of the primary care dept at Kaiser Rancho Bernado location, and was my primary care doctor for several years.
Kaiser sent me a letter saying he retired, and assigned me to a new doctor. On Feb 12 2025, I found out that he is not retired but being assigned to administrative duty. When I call Kaiser appointment center to schedule a visit to Dr. Smelik, the person on the phone got really uptight and tried to give runaround, put me on hold to check on something. Kaiser seems to mount an effort to hide something about Dr Smelik.
He neglected his duty in total disregard of patient well being by not follow up on tests results clearly showing my health is going on dangerous decline that without further specialized care, my life could be in serious jeopardy. He recorded my visit conversations for what ever purpose or intention of use. That seems to be a violation of HIPPA laws.
Does Kaiser pay their doctors yearly bonus to keep patient care costs down?

I am so fed up with kaiser. I have been paying them a lot of money for a year now and I have nothing to show for! Here's a short list:
1- Every time I try to contact them for anything it's a huge ordeal. Calling means you'll be on the phone going in circles with recorded repeated messages for a long time. When you finally get a person to talk to, they smirk , mock or just not care and making you hang up shaking from anger!
2- Every single doctor I have visited has immediately said that they will prescribe a drug as first course of action without even really doing a thorough examination, Then they even insist on giving you drugs which in every single case was a pain killer!!
3-When you try to follow up, somebody other than your doctor will talk to you and play doctor and have you explain your problem to them and in every single case offering the completely wrong treatment!!!
4- They send you emails with links and after you click on them it's a wild goose chase on a website that's totally useless.
5- Their App is even worse and it's meant to make you round and round until you give up.
These are just some of the problems. Ironically if they let you get actual care, it would take way less time for you as well as them. It's really dumb the way they conduct business by wasting so much time and resources as opposed to actually do what they are supposed to.
I am cancelling my insurance and I want my money back. I have lost work because I had to stay home due to the incompetence of Kaiser staff including the pseudo doctors.

Signed up for a policy with Kaiser through the exchange. Only got an email saying 'payment received'. No login info, billing info or insurance info / insurance card whatsoever. Then try to login. Spend 2 hours on the phone with tech support just to get logged in. Once logged in, it shows I don't have a policy anymore even though it's within the paid policy period still. Now the exchange is closed for the year and it will cost me 5x more than what it would have cost through the exchange. This is unacceptable.

I made the mistake of switching to KP for our family's insurance coverage for 2025. I have been chasing them to try and get a prescription filled for TWO WEEKS! My son is having the same problem with them. We have both run out of our medication, but none of the folks we talk to seem to care.
I literally call them every day and get different answers each time. So many excuses for not helping me with this.
I am astounded that a company whose job it is to protect people's health cannot take better care of their members.
I wish I could go back to my previous company without having to suffer with this all year!!

I HATE KAISER PERMANATE SO MUCH THEY ARE THE WORST IN THE WORLD THEY ARE SO RUDE AND FRUSTRATE ME SO MUCH I HATE TALKING TO THEM THEY ARE SUCH A PAIN AND SO STRESSFUL AND FRUSTRATING I HATE THEM SO MU CH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY ARE THE WORST PLEASE DO NOT WORK WITH THEM YOU WILL HATE THE EXPERIENCE SO MUCH AND REGRET SIGNING UP WITH THEM ! THEY ALSO REMIND YOU TO GET VACCINE 650 TIMES WHEN YOU KEEP TELLING THEM YOU DONT WANT THE DAM VACCINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ITS ALL A BUNCH OF INCOMPETENT FEMALES WHO DONT KNOW HOW TO DO THEIR JOB YOU CALL THEM 50 TIMES FOR SAME THING AND ITS SO HARD TO GET A HOLD OF SOMEONE AND AHH I CANT BELIEVE HOW MUCH THEY ARE FRUSTRATING ME I GOT TRANSFERRED THEN IT DISCONNECTED THEN WHEN I CALLED BACK AND ASKED TO BE TRANSFERRED AGAIN THEY ASKED ME 50 QUESTIONS AND I TOLD THEM JUST TRANSFER ME I JUST DID ALL THIS! THE WORST EVER I CANT BEL IEVE HOW MUCH THEY ARE MAKING ME UPSET IT IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There are several good things about their services but the worst is communications... it's absolutely pathetic forever and just never improves!

It’s always something with Kaiser ! Everytime I call our charts have the wrong information. Theu told me I went to the ER on 1/1 and got meds but that was my husband .. not me ! Then they told me they prescribed me an inhaler when I called in on the 2nd and I wasn’t even informed of that until 4 days later . Half the time they make an apt for the wrong child. Spent 4 hrs with 3 kids in urgent care and got nothing ! Dr said she would give us antibiotics and never did. Spent 4 hrs on the phone and not 1 dr or nurse would give us antibiotics, they said we all have to come In for ANOTHER apt . Spent $160 on nothing and now they want us to come in and spend more $$ !! I’m so sick of them.

Kaiser used to be wonderful, now it is a nightmare. Hour or more wait to see your rushed provider. Websites not working, takes an hour to make an appointment, if their system is working. Get it fixed y'all.

I was seen in UC at the Largo centera few weeks ago and was seen by Dr. Wooten. Though I was seen in Uc days prior it was Dr. Wooten who was the most helpful. I was there for neck pain and spasms. She prescribed pain meds and prednisone. I had so much relief once I got home which I did not have from my first visit 5 days prior. Dr. Wooten made recommendation about having a Mri which I did have after seeing my PCP who ordered. Want to also thank nurse April who had taken care of me as well. Both were very kind and showed empathy. they both are an asset to the UC department.
Please share.

My husband has Sutter Health - My Health on line. Because of his condition I have recently viewed his medical history. I have to say that it is a 1000 times better than Kaiser's app which is horrible. It is constantly slow. On My Health I can see all the doctors that my husband has visited in the past. On Kaiser the only doctors I can find are my PCP and my gynecologist. I recently visited an ENT, but can't remember the name. I have no way of finding out who it was that I saw. That's ridiculous. Kaiser keeps changing its website. It has gone from bad to worse!

I would give minus start, but there is no option. So I give 1start.
I have been told my co-workers and friends about how bad Kaiser is. But I still had faith with it. But turned out , I am so wrong. I shouldn’t put my health in Kaiser’s hands.
This place is so disorganized.
The staffs don’t care. I am a client because my work place dropped Aetna. My 1st visit was annual. I brought my scan results from outside thinking it would be helpful for Kaiser to have a copy. When I gave them to a nurse, she said “ we don’t take paper copies “ . So I asked do you want me to get a disc? She said oh no. We had the records. I moved over to see what results she was looking. She was checking my x- ray result. I kind of nicely pointed it out that was not eh report I had in my hands. But she didn’t listen at all. So I kept those reports. Once I got home and I saw there was an email from Kaiser, asked me to drop off the reports. I was not happy about it.
Second, the nurse didn’t tell me what is the next step for referral. After more than two weeks, I still haven’t got a call from the referred department. I had to email them to find it out. On and on. I am wondering for those need continuous care, what they need to through . So not make the same mistake as I didn’t . Don’t go to Kaiser. Otherwise , you put your health In danger.

Tell us more about why you chose this rating.
I had to leave because you do not support the preventative care that you advertise, by no longer covering my Ozempic unless I have damaging high A1c!|