HMO Comparison (Denver, Colorado Springs, Penrose: ob-gyn, health insurance, live in)

[RockyMtMom]

Does anyone on here use either KaiserPermanente or Pacificare HMO plans?
We are trying to decide between the two for health insurance.
If you have either them- please let me know what you like or don't like.
Thanks!

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by RockyMtMom

Does anyone on here use either Kaiser-Permanente or Pacificare HMO plans? We are trying to decide between the two for health insurance. If you have either them- please let me know what you like or don't like. Thanks!

We live in COL SPGS and are members of K-P. Here, service is NOT done by K-P facilities as in Denver or back in the DC area where we are from. Here, K-P contracts for services via CSHP (COL SPGS Health Partners). The services at CSHP have been nothing short of wonderful, so much better than our experiences with K-P back in Fairfax County, VA.

Now, just got a letter the other day....CSHP and K-P have failed to come to terms for 2008, so they are parting company. K-P is hard to deal with and doesn't want to pay for much of anything. CSHP refuses to take the crumbs that K-P is offering. Right now, K-P does not have facilities in COL SPGS, not sure how they will provide services or if they will vacate the area. I doubt they vacate as they like to serve areas with large federal populations.

I can tell you that next year, my wife and I will find someone else. We won't put up with K-P and their cheapskate ways of doing business any longer.

Other alternatives suggested by CSHP are, Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Cigna, Great West Healthcare, Humana, and United Healthcare/PacifiCare. Not sure who we'll go with, but it will NOT be K-P. IMO, K-P sucks beyond belief. The folks I talk to at CSHP say other than K-P, that the other firms are about the same and are a lot easier for them to deal with. CSHP has locations all over town. K-P insists on using city-owned Memorial Hospital, but Docs at CSHP don't like Memorial and prefer to work via Penrose St Francis Hospital system.

I'd love to hear what others have to say too. Anyone else?

s/Mike

[RockyMtMom]

Thanks for replying Mike.
I was wondering which hospital(s) seemed to be better too, so you helped out there as well. I'll have to see if anyone else chimes in.

[Mike from back east]

The breakup between a group of local docs (CSHP) and Kaiser is now noted in the paper here. Kaiser does not have its own clinics in COL SPGS as it does in other cities. Instead, for several years, Kaiser has contracted with CSHP to provide services here. That ends 12/31/07. Kaiser tried to force a 10% cut on payments to CSHP and CSHP said adios pal. Story at: Top Stories: CSHP patients with Kaiser may need to find new doctors - Gazette.com

We'll be heading over to blue cross.

[RockyMtMom]

We ended up going with KP, as we would have been finding new doctors in the area no matter which HMO we chose. Also, one of the OB-GYN practices in town that has Certified Nurse Midwives was on both the plans we were comparing, so I was happy with either.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by RockyMtMom

Does anyone on here use either KaiserPermanente or Pacificare HMO plans?
We are trying to decide between the two for health insurance.
If you have either them- please let me know what you like or don't like.
Thanks!

Have you eliminated using a PPO instead of an HMO?

Pituitary Network Association - News - HMO Horror Stories

Kaiser Patient Malpractice Stories (broken link)

[RockyMtMom]

Using some sort of an HMO was our only health insurance option through my hubby's company. We had three to pick from... one was too expensive and the other two were as I stated in my initial post.
We have already chosen KP. In Colorado Springs, they do not have their own clinic, but use a network of providers- very similar to a PPO. Hopefully, it will work for us.