San Diego Kaiser is still refusing to release any X-ray images in response to my April 7, 2014 request

I sent this email to San Diego Kaiser Permanente's Chief Financial Officer and Chief of Records Lynette Seid today:

Dear Ms. [Lynette] Seid:

Your subordinates have come up completely empty in response to my April 7, 2014 request for radiological images.



I did receive 24 pages of paper records from my medical record today by certified mail. So it seems that the Radiology Records department is the problem.

Sincerely,
Maura Larkins

Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage forcibly enrolled retired federal employee who had enrolled in Nationwide

Yikes! I guess I should count my blessings that I was able to escape from Kaiser.

Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage Ripoff Report
Reported By: Barbara
Monrovia, California
February 24, 2013

Kaiser Permanente
PO Box 232400 San Diego, California 92193
Phone: 1-800-443-0815

After canceling service 12/31/2012 and arranging replacement coverage through the Office of Personnel Management as a Retired Federal Employee, Kaiser without my knowledge, request or consent enrolled me in San Diego, California.

Due to change in living situations, I was forced to cancel my Kaiser Permanente coverage aften 46+ years. I am a Federal Retiree and during the Open Season with the help of my Congresswoman's office I chose a Nationwide company and did everything necessary including closing visits with my doctors. I used the new coverage in January while I was in New York without a problem. When I came home to Southern CA late in January I found mail from Kaiser telling me that I had been approved by Medicare to have their coverage as of 2/1/2013. I checked with OPM in DC and they said to ignore it that my proper coverage was in place. I destroyed the new Kaiser Cards (3 in separate mailings) and went on with my plans to establish myself with the Doctor of my choice.

Now, I have seen the new doctor and she prepared new prescriptions (as mine were running out) and ordered lab work. I am almost 70 years old and have several serious chronic conditions which require ongoing consistent medications.

When I heard from a provider that I could not get services because Medicare is not my primary coverage I inquired further and found that Kaiser had enrolled me without any request or permission and that I could not get anything without going through them.

Here's the catch, when I had called Kaiser to have them remove their name from my record I was told that I had to request it in writing with a signature and that since it is not open season they might not recognize or honor my cancellation. I told them that I had not authorized the coverage and I was not going to sign anything that could imply that I had.

After several long calls to Medicare and Kaiser (threatening them with an official Complaint) they acknowledged that they had enrolled me in their Individual Senior Advantage Program as of 1/18/2013 because they had checked and saw that I was eligible for Medicare (so what!). After putting me on hold for a long time for them to speak to a supervisor the lady came back and told me that they were attempting to assure that I would not have a break in coverage (bull ...).

I did as Medicare Operator instructor and called them back with the information and an Escallated Complaint has been sent "up the chain". Problem is that I am getting more ill and cannot get assistance unless I go to Kaiser and if I do, that will acknowledge that I accept what they have done and I will legally becomme financially obligated to them for the rest of the year. I live on two coasts and they are not available in NY and have limited Out of Area allowances.

So, here I sit having my drug coverage (for which I have paid) not being honored and scared to death that I cannot get this straightened out before I become critically ill. Do they think because I am old, I am stupid? God only knows how many retired federal (and others) employees find themselves in this same mess. After supposedly taking care of me for over 46 years they are ready to cause me illness and possible death if I do not come back to them...

Kaiser Urology Department in San Diego admits truth about removing the wrong kidney

In the article below, Kaiser says that its mistakes are "rare." The truth is that it is rare for Kaiser to honestly report its mistakes, and the policy of falsifying medical records is supported at the highest levels of Southern California Kaiser Permanente Medical group and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals.

Here's a link about how Kaiser Permanente's urology department in San Diego covers up the truth: comparison of hospital urology departments.

Also see: Kaiser kidney transplant scandal

Here's a list of recent Kaiser lawsuits taken from the Courthouse News website: Kaiser Bad News.

San Diego Kaiser Hospital Fined For Removing Wrong Kidney
City News Service
December 20, 2012

A San Diego hospital was among 10 medical centers across the state that were assessed administrative penalties today for actions that caused, or could have caused, serious injury or death to patients.

According to state Department of Public Health officials, Kaiser Foundation Hospital failed to follow surgical policies and procedures in 2010, leading to a surgeon removing the wrong kidney from an 85-year-old man.

Hospital officials said that while extensive safety measures were in place, staffers acted quickly to identify the cause of the error and implemented safety measures to help ensure such an event would not be repeated.

"We sincerely regret that this error in 2010 occurred at the Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center. While these types of incidents are very rare, we take the matter extremely seriously,'' according to a hospital statement. "At the time of the incident, we immediately reported the matter to the California Department of Public Health, and fully cooperated with the investigation.''

The hospital was fined $75,000 -- the second administrative penalty the medical center has received.

The hospital was assessed a $50,000 penalty after a towel was left inside a patient who underwent surgery for gallstones in 2009, U-T San Diego reported.

The CDPH issued 12 penalties to hospitals in San Diego, San Francisco, Oakland, San Rafael, Harbor City, Arcadia, Visalia, Mission Viejo, Fountain Valley and Crescent City.

Administrative penalties for incidents that happened before 2009 carried a fine of $25,000. For later incidents, $50,000 was assessed for a first violation, $75,000 for a second and $100,000 for subsequent violations. Incidents before 2009 were not included.

Hospitals were also required to provide a plan to prevent future incidents. Kaiser's plan included updated policies and procedures, and staff training "to prevent the reoccurrence of a surgical procedure being performed on a wrong body part.''

Surgeons and operating-room nurses will also ensure all relevant imaging studies are available and any surgical or invasive procedure for which an image was obtained will be available and reviewed, according to CDPH documents.

A multidisciplinary surgical safety team that meets weekly to discuss ideas for continuously promoting safe operating practices was implemented in May 2011, according to hospital officials.

Hospitals can appeal an administrative penalty by requesting a hearing within 10 days of the notification.

New US Hospital Ratings are out for 2012-2013

U.S. News and World Report does an excellent job, but it's hard to compare hospitals when you can only see one hospital at a time. I've started preparing comparisons of San Diego hospitals.

My first page is the urology comparisons for San Diego. Three local hospitals had better-than-expected survival, and three had worse-than-expected survival.

U.S. News Best Hospitals 2012-13

U.S. News surveyed nearly 10,000 specialists and sifted through data for approximately 5,000 hospitals to rank the best in 16 adult specialties, from cancer to urology. Death rates, patient safety, and hospital reputation were a few of the factors considered. Only 148 hospitals were nationally ranked in one or more specialties. The Honor Roll features the 17 that scored near the top in at least six specialties.

Lawsuit against San Diego Kaiser Permanente for problems related to delivery with vacuum device June 2012

UPDATE: I realized why the complaint in this case doesn't talk about malpractice by the doctor. It's becaue Kaiser would simply shift the case to secret, binding arbitration.

I love the new word "mid-evil". It seems perfect, doesn't it? Of course, the teacher in me forces me to admit that the old word "medieval" is also an excellent word, and should probably be used when one is turning in work to a boss or a teacher. But for blogging, I think "mid-evil" will do just fine.

This leaves us with the question, are the actions of Kaiser doctors and administrators too often mid-evil? The sad story below reminds me of the shocking story of Dr. Hamid Safari, who was protected by Kaiser administrators and some Kaiser doctors even after two babies died horribly. In fact, the doctor who complained about Hamid Safari was fired for not keeping his mouth shut!

I am wondering, however, why the complaint does not give more details about the actual events that led up to problems with the birth of Angelina. The deliveries by Dr. Hamid Safari have been described in painful detail, including by the Los Angeles Times. This suit does not name any negligent doctor. Who, exactly, should have warned Plaintiffs about the vacuum device? Was a C-section considered? Who decided against it? I have a sneaking suspicion that not enough education and communication went on in this case. Did the patient speak English? Perhaps the doctor was not at fault, but since Kaiser has falsified so many medical records to cover up problems, we can not know with any certainty what really happened.

See Complaint filed in San Diego Superior Court June 26, 2012.
Complaint can also be seen HERE.

Kaiser Permanente Lawsuit
07/06/2012 10:11:33
by National-Health-Insurance

Soad and Ziad Oraha are suing Kaiser Permanente, they state that Kaiser Permanente used a vacuum device to deliver their baby and caused their baby not only to have a fractured skull but also brain damage.

I am no Doctor but what happened to a C-Section? Using a vacuum device for delivery of a baby sounds down right mid-evil. I wonder if the vacuum device is another one of Kaiser Permanente's money saving devices?

Robert and Jacqueline Finney helped me find a Kaiser ER case I've spent years looking for

My friend Sandy Wiltgen died of uterine cancer after the San Diego Kaiser Permanente Emergency Room ignored the possibility that she might have cancer, and and instead simply did a Hemoglobin test each time she showed up in a state of desperation because of her severe bleeding. Each time she came in, Kaiser's little blood test discovered she was severely anemic (Hemoglobin was 6!), and so they gave her a transfusion, put on a band-aid, and sent her home. This went on for a year-and-a-half before Kaiser finally did a biopsy.

At around the same time (the mid-90s), I read that a young nursing mother died of breast cancer because the same ER failed to take her seriously, sending her home again and again, without any biopsy.

I've finally found the name of the nursing mother: Angela Farnum. Her story is on the website of Robert and Jacqueline Finney, HMO Hardball.

Angela Rametta Farnum
July 13, 1955 - April 6, 1995
Angela died after a long and brave battle against breast cancer. She worked for Civil Service for several years and then had a day care business. She had a husband and three children.



From the website HMO Hardball:

Robert and Jacquelyn Finney wrote this patient self-protection manual after attending the funeral of a 39 year old mother of three young children. She didn’t have to die of breast cancer. She was sentenced to death by her HMO and its doctors. She was denied necessary mammograms and treatment. When the HMO and its doctors said NO to Angela Farnum, she died. Three young children and her husband were left alone without the love of a nurturing mother and wife. Although, her story was extensively covered in the media, including the Wall Street Journal and San Diego Union-Tribune, publicity couldn’t save her.

Angela, like other patients, did not have the weapons, strategies and tactics to fight corporation-controlled medical care...

...Documentation is the key to winning the game!

How to Play HMO HARDBALL will never be out of date. President Nixon, lobbied by Kaiser Permanente, passed the HMO Act in 1973 that made HMO HARDBALL legal. Our opposition to HMO HARDBALL health care denial began when the law was enacted. As HMOs invented ever more insidious rules, dirty tricks, and lame excuses, we learned how to implement successful tactics and strategies to play HMO HARDBALL. We are battle scarred veterans with 40 years’ experience. We are the patients’ arsenal for timeless weapons to win HMO bureaucratic battles. HMO covers all “managed care,” including “ObamaCare.”

The following links take you to the Table of Contents and Chapter One of the book.