Kaiser using Google to focus web searches

This sounds like a great way for Kaiser to attempt to get better coverage on Google (i.e. fewer posts from patients and more pro-hmo propoganda). What do you think? I invite your comments...

Read about it

A patient's dream of exactly what to do with Kaiser...

Criminal activity at Kaiser?

This person claims on their site that Kaiser is conducting criminal activity, presumably to hinder financial investigation. View for yourself.
"Shortly before I was scheduled to look for billing discrepancies at Kaiser HMO, a gunman fired a shotgun in my general direction. I was obstructed in conveying my reports to my clients at Kaiser and subjected to intimidation by other Kaiser employees. A whole array of problems including arson fires began at that time and has continued to the present. I believe that two fires resulted in one fatality each."
http://home.earthlink.net/~jimristrem/

Concealment of malpractice... and patient death

This is a shocking incidence of concealment, but according to its writer, malpractice is usually concealed, as no one wants to be responsible for a patient's death.
http://kaiserconsumers.org/Concealment.htm

Got lawyers?

Here's a law office dedicated to helping Kaiser patients.

Kaiser in Wikipedia

Looks like Kaiser is taking exception to what people are saying on Wikipedia about them. Heh.
It might be this line: "Kaiser among others has paid fines for patient dumping." I say, get it out there. For a non-profit organization, Kaiser sure is concerned about profits and making themselves look good.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Kaiser_Permanente

MIB intentionally withholding patient information?

Earlier I mentioned the MIB, the Medical Information Bureau. Recently, when I contacted them to find out if I had any records with them, they responded with a letter stating that they didn't have any under the following names. Following were several misspellings of my name. Since I had given them my name, birthdate, social security number, address, and other information, I don't see why there should be any ambiguity. They either have my record or they don't. Please tell me they don't file things in their database under name. How many John Smiths are there in the United States?

Another Kaiser member not using Kaiser

At the pharmacy (not a Kaiser pharmacy) today, I had a conversation with the pharmacist about a clinic. He mentioned that he was using it because his healthplan was bad. "Kaiser?" I guessed. He shared a story with me about his own bad experiences as a patient there. Isn't it ironic that we can't use our healthplan to get healthcare?
I hope he visits my blog.

Adword silliness

Isn't it ironic that there is an ad for Kaiser at the top of this blog? If anyone were considering them as an HMO, they would probably change their mind after reading more...

I couldn't believe this...

An example of patient privacy being violated...

"Who Said I Take Prozac?
In Florida, Walgreen Co. mailed free samples of Prozac Weekly to patients who were taking Prozac Daily. Imagine the patients’ shock when they realized that strangers were seeing and using their prescriptions records without their knowledge or consent. Under the new HIPAA regulations, this marketing is now called 'patient education'."


(This story and others like it can be found on http://www.patientprivacyrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=True_Stories.)

Petition for medical privacy

By filling out privacy notices at doctor's offices, you are really signing a release form that allows the office to share your health information. Patient Privacy Rights Foundation has a petition you can sign to send Congress the message that we care about patient privacy. Sign it here.

How do you keep your medical information private?

HIPAA has helped, but in today's tangled web woven by insurance companies, your medical information isn't really all that private. You can bring a written request revoking your consent to release medical information to the insurance company. (I doubt this works with PPOs.) To be more secure, you can pay out of pocket, not using your insurance.
For more information, see the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.

Who stores your health information?

In your quest to be an educated patient, you may want to know about the MIB. Not the Men in Black, but the Medical Information Bureau. If you apply for insurance (be it health, life, or disability) and are denied, they may have the reason for denial stored as a code, which can be accessed by its 600 member companies (i.e. insurance agencies that you may wish to apply to in the future).
You are allowed one free look at your file per year. If you haven't been denied healthcare, you may not have a record. To request your record, go here.

fightkaiser.com

Another Kaiser site, with some advice: "If you are a member of Kaiser Permanente - never trust your physicians. Make sure you receive copies of all your evaluations. Know your rights to obtain proper medical care. Appeal their denial of care and put everything in writing."