Kaiser Permanente Reviews 273

2-Star Review: Kaiser Permanente French Campus Pain Management Clinic

This account details my experience at the Kaiser Permanente French Campus Pain Management Clinic, focusing on significant administrative failures and stressful incidents that aggravated my severe lower back pain.

Despite my continuous cooperation and proactive approach as a patient, the clinic's procedural shortcomings and campus events resulted in considerable emotional distress and delayed my recovery.

Appointment Overview
My evaluation took place on Monday, September 29, 2025, during a four-hour interdisciplinary appointment.

This experience was marked by a paradoxical cycle: while the clinical staff demonstrated expertise, the system itself introduced major obstacles to my care.

Clinical Expertise and Challenges
• Positive Clinical Interactions: The team, including the doctor, psychiatrist, and physical therapist, acted professionally and provided well-founded recommendations. I promptly followed their advice, obtaining a hip X-ray and receiving both COVID and flu vaccinations.

• Communication Issues: My interaction with the primary doctor was especially frustrating. He departed abruptly, leaving me trailing behind and failing to extend basic courtesy. His communication was one-directional, prompting me to assertively address the issue and inform him of its inappropriateness. He appeared taken aback by my advocacy.

Systemic Administrative Failure
A significant systemic flaw involved my inability to access my clinical notes for 52 days, only gaining entry on Thursday, November 20, 2025. This delay far exceeded the legal requirements set by California (15 days) and HIPAA (30 days), impeding my ability to manage my care.

Documentation Errors
Upon finally reviewing my records, I discovered a serious factual mistake: the psychiatrist's report incorrectly stated that my father was in prison, which is entirely false. Such carelessness in official medical documentation is unacceptable and threatens the integrity of my medical history.

Administrative Delays and Lack of Transparency
The delay in accessing my notes was due to providers not signing them, preventing me from reviewing their findings and hindering my formal request for an outside referral to the Stanford Pain Management Center.

This postponement was attributed to an unusual and poorly communicated reason, without any direct explanation or apology.

My treatment plan was developed. From many experiences in the past, I have a deep distrust of the Kaiser Permanente system. The internal processes actively obstructed my efforts to seek more competent care.

On-Campus Stressful Incident
On the same day as my evaluation, I experienced a distressing event in the KP FC first floor pharmacy.

A third-party vendor employee aggressively approached me while I wore headphones, escalating the situation to the point where I feared physical assault. The pharmacy front desk employee called security without hearing my side and wrongly concluded that I was at fault. This lack of situation awareness and failure to de-escalate caused significant, unnecessary emotional trauma.

Conclusion and Request
Throughout this ordeal, I have remained a proactive Kaiser Permanente member. However, administrative non-compliance, egregious documentation mistakes, and on-campus insensitivity have left me deeply dissatisfied and pushed me to the brink.

This cumulative experience has contributed significantly to my dysphoria. I am urgently requesting that Kaiser Permanente honor my commitment to my care and provide an immediate referral to a more competent pain management clinic.

Unfulfilled Appointments and Documentation
On Monday, November 24, 2025, I awaited a scheduled telephone appointment with the senior case manager from KP San Diego Grievance & Appeals Operation. After waiting 15 minutes, the call was never made. To record this, I promptly sent a confirmation fax documenting the missed appointment.

I appreciate the time you spent reading this review.

I want to compliment the audiology department at Kaiser Briargate. Dr. Sabra Carman and her staff have gone out of their way and over and above normal care on helping me with my hearing aids, keeping them in good repair and providing the supplies needed to keep them functional and helpful. Thank you to Dr Sabra and staff. Five star. !

after almost 30+ years with KP,I left with dignity, they removed my medication before my contract ended. refusing prednisone caused high blood sugar spikes, very bad manner to the patient's disagreed. for 30+ year silence now I know how to speak up with AI 's help

Seemingly intentionally frustrating to wear down users to not seek medical care. Slow load times, broken links, confusing menus, endless loops, roads to nowhere. 9 times of 10 I am unable to accomplish my goal on this site. If you have Kaiser just call a 1-800 number be on hold for 20 minutes and you will have much better success than this website or the garbage app on your phone.

I have been waiting 5 months for hip surgery. I am in constant severe pain. Kaiser knows this because I have told them on numerous occasions. I am unable to schedule surgery. Two different orthopedic surgeons at Kaiser have told me that is what I need.

As long as all you need is a pill, Kaiser is fine. If it's anything more than that you will have a very hard time getting seen. It takes MONTHS just to get an appointment. Please so not make the mistake of using Kaiser. Any other insurance company will be better. Kaiser is a waste of time and money.

They care much more about reviews than they do about patient care.

Honestly I never found Kaiser insurance to be worth of its monthly pay and I strongly doubt that I ever will.

I seriously hate this organization and every one in it because they almost killed my father on a multiple occasions during chemo, but I'll set that aside for now.

First of all, their website barely works and does so almost never without some sort of technical issue.
If I ever need a prescription/diagnosis/or any service, I have to call someone else other than my doctor. And they don't accept emails, so there goes half of my day waiting on hold. Then, usually I end up speaking with some idiot who has no clue what I'm talking about.

Nothing is ever smooth with Kaiser. For the sake of your mental health, stay away from this fraudulent and disorganized sh*t hole hospital.

Seriously *uck this place

For the past few days, I keep getting phone calls from Kaiser. All from different numbers, and yes, they're all registered with Kaiser. They don't even talk and I have nothing to do with them.

I WILL NOT STOP filing complaint against kaiser- this has been the most ridiculous experience of my life- !
I need surgery on my left shoulder
I had to apply for a payment plan to pay past medical bills
I could not get the medications for my shoulder injury through lies and deception
I finally got the medication a month later
I filed a complaint with the BBB

I filed a complaint with Kaiser- and received an apology-only- which is no good or use to me
I had to undergo double x-rays of the same area- as kaiser could not schedule an Emg apt
I finally got an apt with an orthopedic surgeon
WHO SCHEDULED THE SURGERY WITH AN OUTSIDE KAISER FACILITY WHO NEEDS $5000 UPFRONT- I AM FURIOUS IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT- AND IF YOU BELIEVE I AM KIDDING- NOW I MOVE THIS FIGHT TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND ANYONE ELSE WHO WILL LISTEN- BY THE TIME I AM FINISHED COMPLAINING NO ONE WILL REGISTER WITH KAISER INSURANCE IN THE UP AND COMING NEW PHYSICAL YEAR REGISTRTATION- KAISER IS THE WORST EXPERIENCE I HAVE EXPERIENCED

This hospital never hire black nurses When they have a strike and you call they never pick people of color . My friend has been trying to get in to their hospital NO CALl BACK SAD

This is regarding the CCU Doctors of the Baldwin Park location. All Doctors need to be better regulated because most of them act as if CCU patients are already dead. The hospital social workers will give information on who to complain to but this also does very little if anything and serious change is needed.

Today was a day when grief for myself and my mother was covered up with a smile. A week after the burial of my mother, my body has collapsed with exhaustion from caregiving. And, like so many caregivers my health became compromised after months ( and years) of being responsible for the parent I so loved. Today after a week of many possible heart related symptoms, I was scheduled for EKG.

The technician, a woman near my age still working, in the cardiology dept tuned into my grief, engaged with me with sensitivity, and spoke words of support and encouragement. Her name Holly. She the best of what Kaiser Permanente offers---- compassionate understanding at times when the only thing that makes a day better are kind words.

Thank you Holly in Cardiology in Modesto, CA outpatient dept.
Sept 30, 2025

Frustrating and Unsafe Experience

I recently ran out of my prescribed Prazosin and reached out to Kaiser Woodland Hills for help. I first contacted medical services, who told me to call the mental health department at 833-579-4848. When I did, the staff member I spoke with was rude, something that is especially concerning in mental health, where patients need understanding and support. I also contacted the pharmacy, but no one made a real effort to help; my requests were simply forwarded around. I was only told my medication was on hold needing an approval.

As a result, I went several days without my medication and experienced significant withdrawal symptoms, including shaking, nausea, increased heart rate, and difficulty relaxing. This was extremely stressful and unsafe.

Reading other reviews, it seems this isn’t an isolated issue, there are multiple reports of poor communication, delayed care, and serious complications. I hope they improve their process and staff training so that patients can receive timely and compassionate care when it’s needed most.

I wanted to thank the Kaiser office for a great job! I went in to the Parkside location for the "Walk-in" Covid / Flu shots. Signed in, sat down and waited for only about 10 minutes. All the seats were taken, but Lisa (nurse on staff) got everybody taken care of in a reasonable amount of time, and with a kind smile. Of all things, I never felt the shots! Thank you Kaiser! You're the best!

Can't get through on Kaiser's dysfunctional website, to send a message to my doctor. Tried once and there is no available condition to select from in their AI generated menu. Then tried to send pics to my doctor, created the message, uploaded the pics and then the thing refused to send the message after several tries. Maybe this is intentional and is a way to gatekeep people from obtaining the care they need. I pay high rates for no service and I'm quite angry about this.

Relationship: Manat was the recruiter who guided me through the hiring process at Kaiser Permanente.

Position at the time: Talent Acquisition at Kaiser Permanente

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Recommendation:

I had the pleasure of working with Manat X Ordanov during my hiring process at Kaiser Permanente, and I am truly grateful for his outstanding support and professionalism.

From our first interaction to the final offer, Manat was consistently clear, responsive, and genuinely supportive. He explained each step in detail, answered all my questions promptly, and provided helpful guidance that made me feel confident and informed throughout the process.

What impressed me most was his kindness and patience — he approached everything with respect and made what can be a stressful experience feel smooth and even enjoyable. Thanks to Manat, I felt truly welcomed into the Kaiser Permanente team from the very beginning.

He is not only a skilled talent acquisition professional but also someone who brings a human touch to every interaction. I highly recommend Manat and believe he is a tremendous asset to any organization.

I have been greatly aided by KP's ADAPT program for support. JEREMIAH BUENROSTRO and MS. HARRIS have demonstrated empathy, cordiality, and care. Video sessions, to me, are preferrable to Face To Face meetings which involve exhausting travel time, parking challenges, and similar problems. Scheduling is easy. Sessions last 30 minutes, and can involve both counseling and drug therapies.

The Emergency Department at West LA is awesome, particularly, Dr. Katsura & Dr. Hsu, care on 8/1-8/2/2025; Dr. Mackanic, nurse Jayre; Tech Sergio care on 8/16/2025 were angels from haven. Their empathy & compassion provided relief, while they also remained very efficient, paying attention to detail, as well as keeping me informed and comfortable despite my pain and/or serious dx. I hope that they know, although perhaps not always verbalized by patients, that their actions are appreciated more than they may ever suspect. My Thanks!!

I have been a Kaiser patient for the last 25 consecutive years. Kaiser was great and I've now realized it was mostly in part due to me being healthy for the most part. But as of June of 2025, I began suffering chronic lower back pain, which COMPLETELY affected my quality of life. I couldn't cook, clean, or even play ball with my dog. My sons and I would have to leave theme parks just two hours later due to my chronic back pain, and I could no longer bend over far enough to ties my shoes, though normally, I can bend over from a standing position, placing both hands flat on the ground. Laughing and coughing causes significant lower back pain, and sneezing causes excruciating pain! I have frequent back spasms and sleep deprivation due to the chronic back pain keeping me from sleeping comfortably.

As a teacher, I was so stressed about returning to work because I KNEW I couldn't fully function, especially based on the subject I teach. So I asked my spine doctor for a long-term disability leave to give me some time to try to heal, which she declined. She referred back to MRI results from five years ago as well as results from 16-months prior, but I didn't have this particular severe chronic back pain during neither of those times.

So then I decided to write Kaiser's CEO Michelle Gaskill-Hames, requesting the same due to the significant pain I was in. I didn't hear a word back from her. I then filed a grievance with Kaiser's membership, who responded back nine days later declining my request for a long-term disability leave. I appealed that denial, only to get denied again!

This reminded me when I was pregnant with my youngest son, and I was too weak and sick to stand on my own two feet long enough to brush my teeth. But my OB-GYN would NOT write me off work; she said my symptoms were "normal," and she, herself, never took off work because she was never sick! So I decided to transfer my maternity care under my (now ex) husband's insurance Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO, and had a WONDERFUL doctor who told me can't any doctor tell you how you feel, and she would keep me off work until I felt strong enough to return. I didn't return back to work until my second trimester!

I have now decided that Kaiser is great when you are healthy, but if you are chronically sick and still have to work, you are in bad shape! They DON'T listen to their patients' needs, and they think know better than their patients! Though my Kaiser doctors are nice, I do question if they are limited to what they can and can't approve, even when it's obvious the care that is needed.

My spine doctor did order a recent MRI, and those results carried over to a second page! I have two "abutting nerve roots" in my "L3 and L4," and an "annular fissure" in my L5, in addition to ALL the other problems the MRI shows. Because my spine doctor still feels these new results are no big deal, when my body tells me 24/7 they ARE a big deal. I shared these results with an outside doctor, and she gave me a leave of absence through the end of the year. She said I need to do conservative treatments first (physical therapy, etc.), and if those don't help me, then surgery might have to be the final option. By the way, this doctor doesn't take ANY medical insurance but only takes cash; therefore, she isn't bound to or controlled by these insurance companies, like other doctors are!

I am now looking to change to Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO during open enrollment. I love my son's pediatricians, so I will be sorry to leave them. But when I am at my best, my son benefits from that. When I am at my worst, my son suffers those consequences. I want to be at my best.

Horrible. I can't even pronounce the name of the doctor they chose for me, and every other one available in the choices they offer comes from some foreign country. I don't trust any of them to make medical decisions for me, so the whole plan is worthless unless I need the ER. Thanks for the diversity, but I might need a doctor I can explain things to in my own language.

To be clear, doctors, nursers, locations, etc.—GREAT.
The problem lies with the administrative side of things who hired an amateur to make their website—for example, to pay your bill, you need to leave your medical home page—yet another new log in a nd password—and guess what? It doesn't work on a desktop, but will on a iPad. You will receive nasty letters telling you that your service will soon end if they don't get their money—you will contact support and after the obligatory, we are here to serve you, you will soon realize they don't really give a feces. And like Groundhog Day, you will go through this often.