[quote=flyer]With our coverage, we have very small co-pays, regardless of which medical group we choose–UCSD, Sharp, or Scripps (which is our favorite), or other.
Even if we choose a doctor or facility elsewhere, we’re still covered, and it has been our experience that all will bill you if you don’t pay the required co-pay up front. We’re so glad to have such great coverage, that we’re more than happy to meet that requirement.[/quote]
Which begs the question flyer, which provider/company do you use?
I didn’t know what to expect with Kaiser Permanente because I’ve never used an HMO before but I have to say so far in the past several years I’ve been happy. What I really like is how everything is so organized and they utilize the latest technology.
I like going online and being able to email my primary care physician (or even specialists that I’ve seen) and they typically email me back the same day. My primary care physician is AWESOME where he typically emails me back within minutes of when I email him.
Anytime I need a prescription, he just calls it in for me without me having to visit him first. If I have a question, I just email him and he answers. All my visit information is right there online. All my results from tests are right there.
When I get blood work it’s pretty amazing how they will send you an email as each result comes in. Seeing a specialist is typically pretty easy as well. I do have to drive out to San Marcos typically for specialist visits/MRI but that center there is nice and the physicians have all been friendly.
Don’t let my post give you the wrong idea. I’ve always been super healthy and spent decades paying for medical premiums and never used it. I’ve pretty much always owned my own companies so I essentially paid for my own insurance coverage for myself and my family which typically was/is expensive.
But I never used it myself until I moved to San Diego and used Kaiser.
One example is last year I had severe stomach pains. To the point where it would be daily. My primary care physician tried a few things but they never could solve it or figure it out. They had me do stool samples that nothing ever picked up.
So they referred me to a specialist in San Marcos where I had to do an endoscopy and colonoscopy (YUCK..my first time ever). They did a biopsy of my stomach and found I had something called H. Pylori. I guess something like 50% of the world has it but they don’t have symptoms. Mostly in underdeveloped or developing countries.
I do so much darn traveling that I picked it up on one of my travels. I was so happy once they got it figured out and solved it!
Another example is I have chronic neck pain from an accident when I was a kid. Constant migraines and about every 6 or 7 years for the past 2 decades I’ve been asking my doctors if there is anything that can solve it. Typically the answer is no.
Well, I met with a specialist and they had me do an MRI and they will do this surgery called Radio Frequency Ablation (RFA). Essentially burning the nerves. So I’ll do that here soon.
Hopefully all goes well. It was funny as I’m going in next week for a procedure and someone from Kaiser called me yesterday and was going through this list of questions including, “do you have a will, do you have advanced directives, etc. LOL. Needless to say I got a bit nervous after that list of questions…
But totally happy with Kaiser and it’s good to have the feeling of people that really care about you.
Any hoo….. if you don’t see any more posts from me after next week…. you know what happened… I’m just saying…
