I was with Kaiser for 30 years, and there are some definite pros and cons.
IMO, distance to the nearest Kaiser hospital is key if you want to use their insurance. I’d say no more than 20 minutes, max if one lives in a city. You also don’t want to be driving long distances just to get certain tests, etc. And you’ll be doing that when you’re sick.
The best part about Kaiser is that everything is in one place. If you go into Urgent Care/your doctor’s appt., and they need to do labs, they can get the results back fairly quickly (in emergencies) because the lab is right there. Then, they can do any kind of test necessary to treat the problem right there, at that moment. Problem is, you’ll only see that in emergency situations — and they define what an emergency is.
Some possible options:
1. Pay what it would cost to get Kaiser coverage and let her pay for the difference between Kaiser and her preferred choice.
2. Go with Kaiser, and pay out-of-pocket for any “alternative” treatments. Either you or she can cover all or part of these costs. Maybe there’s some kind of “flexible spending” account available for college students? Perhaps one of our more financially-savvy posters can address that.
Congratulations on your daughter’s ambitions for medical school! Sounds like you did a great job with her. Good luck with your decisions!
