Kaiser Still Sucks Big Time

Remember my earlier post here on how bad Kaiser's service is? Well, here I am, 2 effing years later and still going through this shit.

If you are new here, please do check my earlier post first to get the 'feel' of the situation. You know? Of how fuckingtastic the health services in the US is in general and Kaiser's services in particular?

Firstly, let me tell you that all the doctors that I have seen at Kaiser are pretty good. I have nothing against them. But they are 'just' doctors there. They see you once you get the appointment. They are not part of the scheduling system. The system is created so that you almost always talk to a different people. Send and reply to an email 5 times, you will be replied by 5 different people.

Anyways, I went to get my papsmear done on Tue and also to get the referral for infertility treatment. When asked by my family doctor, I admitted that Michael is a smoker. I was told to call the member service (1-888 number) to make and appointment. Called and was given a 'direct number' that I have to call for the said appointment which I did. Actually I have been calling that number for god-knows how many times prior to that and have left numerous messages. Not one call was answered and not one message returned. My call that day was no different. No one answered so I left a voicemail leaving all my contact details and such.

That evening I called the member services (1-888 number) again and that was when I found out that my referral has been cancelled by my doctor. Imagine my shock! Stress Level 6. So I immediately emailed my doctor to find out what is going on. It was around 3pm then so I didn't get any reply until the next morning. Guess what she said? My referral was cancelled by the Infertility Department, you know the one who didn't answer nor return any of my calls. And the reason given to my doctor was that Michael is a smoker. Basically, they are saying (through my doctor) that since Michael is a smoker, they are denying me a treatment! Stress Level 10! The best part is, I found out from another Kaiser member that she and her husband were smokers but they went through their treatment with no problem. Can I say, I smell DISCRIMINATION here? Yes my friends, Kaiser Permenante is discriminating us.

But my nightmare is not over yet. Just now I called member service again to make an appointment for Michael to do his sperm count. Before that let me get this straight.

1. I am a patient = We are paying monthly to Kaiser even if we dont see them and still paying when we do see the doctor.
2. Member service = works with Kaiser therefore knows what to do. (shouldn't they?)

So I told the bitchy didn't-get-serviced-last-night member service that I want to schedule an appointment for Michael to do sperm count. Then she told me that ok she has put in the request for the test and the doctor will decide if Michael needs to see a doctor or can just take the test (or something to that effect). Then I said, so he doesn't need an appointment to do the sperm count? The bitch then flipped on me telling me that I didn't ask for an appointment and that if I need an appointment she can schedule it now in a tone that deserved a bitch-slap. Like ..... WHAT. THE. FUCK?????

At that point my blood is already boiling but I keep reminding myself that in the US you can't curse or scream or maki them eventhough they are fucking rude and/or fucking stupid. (That is why we have fucking stupid people like her still earning thousand of dollars using high premium that people like us are paying monthly) I took a (very)deep breath and slowly said to her, "You just told me that you have put in the request for my husband and that the doctor will decide if he needs to see a doctor or can take the test without seeing one. Why are you asking me if I need an appointment?". Still with a patronising and rude tone, she said that I asked for a test not an appointment. To which I repeated what I said earlier and yet she continued on and on about a test and an appointment. I have no freaking idea what she was talking about. Does any of you understand what she was talking about? Stress Level ~

If Michael only needs to do a test without seeing a doctor, doesn't that mean that he needs an appointment date for that? Is making an appointment for a test is not an 'appointment'? Don't be rude to me because I have no fucking idea about the terminology and/or jargons that you are using for each and every procedures or if I am using the 'wrong' word for the 'wrong' procedures. By the way, the call was made today around 2.30pm pacific time.