SAN DIEGO — State regulators say Kaiser Permanente has mismanaged its mental health services. The reprimand comes after years of complaints from Kaiser therapists.
In its report, the California Department of Managed Health Care found a number of deficiencies.
For example, the agency says Kaiser gave false information to patients, saying individual counseling sessions wouldn't be covered. Kaiser also made patients wait too long between appointments.
Kaiser admits it's had some problems, and says it's making a number of improvements. For instance, Kaiser just added six more therapists to one of its facilities in Santa Rosa.
Jim Clifford, a Kaiser therapist in Otay Mesa, said it's about time management faced the music.
"We're glad that we've finally been able to break through the denial on the part of senior leadership, and focus attention on this very serious problem," Clifford said. "We're very concerned about our patients. Some of them struggle with bipolar disorder, severe depression, and anxiety."
State regulators say depending on their follow-up investigation, they may fine Kaiser and order specific changes.
In the meantime, let's hope Kaiser did not allow some nut to have ownership of a semi-auto!
"Democratic support for President Obama's healthcare law has dropped 15 points since November, contributing to a rise in negative attitudes toward the reform, according to a new poll. Opponents of the Affordable Care Act currently outnumber supporters (42 percent to 36), according to the Kaiser Family Foundation's latest tracking survey. Public opinion has switched back and forth since the law passed in 2010, and in November, support for the law was 4 percent higher than opposition (43 percent to 39). Kaiser attributed the marked slide in support among Democrats to a "post-presidential election fade." In November, 72 percent of that group expressed support for the law, compared with 57 percent who feel favorably toward it now. Unaffiliated voters saw a similar but less dramatic decline in support, with 32 percent approving of the healthcare law compared with 37 percent in November." http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/285081-poll-finds-15-point-drop-in-dem-support-for-health-law
"Cohen appeared on an AHIP panel with Henry Chao, a CMS official who’s overseeing the technology for the exchange launch.... Chao said the main objective is to get the exchanges up and running and signing up the uninsured. “The time for debating about the size of text on the screen or the color or is it a world-class user experience, that’s what we used to talk about two years ago,” he said. “Let’s just make sure it’s not a third-world experience.” http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Newsletters/Washington-Health-Policy-in-Review/2013/Mar/March-18-2013/HHS-Working-on-Contingency-Plans.aspx oh yeah that's why he sux well anyway I'd still love for you to cite the holding of Heller that upholds the expired law that wasn't even part of the case good luck!