Kaiser or Blue Cross PPO? (London: fence, cost, activities)

[CaliforniaDreamin']

On the subject health insurance ..... what are the typical local choices for health insurance other than Blue Cross and Kaiser ? and which are better to go with ?

I'm on the east coast and have Aetna through my company but I take it Aetna is only east coast. I'm a bit concerned about finding a good doctor/dentist once I move out to LA. I've had my current doctor since I was a child so it'll be difficult making the switch.

Also, are dental providers separate from medical ? I now have both medical and dental through Aetna. In Cali, is it typical to have different providers for both ?

[SandyCo]

Every time I would think of switching to Kaiser because it was so much cheaper, there would be an article in the L.A. Times detailing some new horror story. A friend of mine has Kaiser, and he has never had any problems (he's relatively healthy), but I'll take my chances with a PPO. At least with a PPO you have a choice to go in network or out of network. If I had a brain tumor, I would want the very best care available, and I doubt it would be found at Kaiser.

Also, it has been my experience that dental coverage is separate from health coverage. Sometimes it is the same provider, but at my company it isn't. Blue Cross for the PPO (Health Net and Kaiser are offered as well), and Aetna for dental.

[TwinMom06]

Originally Posted by DontH8Me

Good doctor and Kaiser do not belong in the same sentence. They hire the bottom of the barrel - you are not getting top-notch doctors for the salary Kaiser pays. If your friends like their doctor, I am thrilled - but the odds of finding a good doctor in the KP system is like finding an intact snowball on the surface of the sun.

Go with the PPO - there is a reason that few employers offer it and why it costs more than other coverages. When I had BC PPO, I went to the same Dermatologist that works on the celebrities at Raleigh Studios - and the copay was the same as if I had gone to a chop shop. I miss PPO days

Kaiser revamped their system 7 years ago. They cleaned house and hired doctors from top training programs and recruited top doctors from the community. As a result, the medical care a Kaiser is markedly improved. Patients who used Kaiser system over 5-7 years ago did not experience Kaiser under the new philosophy. There are good doctors at Kaiser; you may need to do research on who may be a good match for you before you choose. Many doctors choose to work a Kaiser because the patients have lots of support services and the system allows all the healthcare professionals to work with you as a team. The subspecialists there are superb. Some of the doctors at Woodland Hills Kaiser used to be professors of medicine at UCLA! Out of the HMOs, Kaiser is probably the best.

[mono#9]

For what it's worth--Consumer Reports rated Kaiser SoCal 7th out of about 35 national HMOs, with a score of 82. Blue Cross of SCal PPO was rated at a score of 76 and about 26th out of about the same number of ppos. This was one of their consumer surveys, not a standards agency rating--but still interesting.

[Cali4life80]

Originally Posted by donnam

I've had both. I would definitely choose Kaiser. It's part of the reason why we are moving back to California.

I don't want to have to choose which medical procedures I can afford to have. I love HMO's because you get the coverage you need. My Mom had both during her lifetime and I encouraged her to switch to Kaiser when she retired. She ended up with a chronic illness and Kaiser gave her outstanding care over several years until her death. The last few months of her life, they were wonderful to her. They assisted me in end of life issues and medical options, as well. Now that I have Blue Cross, I really appreciate the full-service care patients receive with Kaiser.

Yes!! Kaiser! I love Kaiser and have had nothing but good experiences with them. Thats part of the reason why we're moving back to Ca as well. I can't believe we chose a state that didn't have Kaiser. What were we thinking? lol

[Ultrarunner]

My good friend was diagnosed with a Brain tumor and said he would not be alive today if it wasn't for the exceptional medical care he received at Kaiser.

[SoulSpace]

I was born into Kaiser (Sunset), my mom died at Kaiser (Sunset), and my dad is currently a serious patient at Kaiser (Cadillac). I do not recommend Kaiser. I personally, and my family, do not have Kaiser. Their buerocracy is too great, and I do not believe that the emphasis is on strong care. That being said, you do have to be a strong advocate of your own and your families care, regardless of the option you choose. But IMHO, at Kaiser, you will have to be a much stronger advocate to achieve acceptable care. Good luck.

[BreaOC]

I almost lost my leg (and life) in a car accident while living in Minneapolis in 2004. For years I suffered from a failed reconstruction of my left distal femur, that kept me on one crutch and in constant pain for nearly 4 years. After moving back I was skeptical about getting Kaiser because they had such a bad image when we had them in the mid 90's. I couldn't be any happier. The orthopedic surgeon (actually surgeons, there were numerous that were helping to ensure a successful reconstruction) was amazing. He guided me through step by step what they would be doing and ensured me that it was going to go great. It has been two months since my 8 1/2 hour surgery and I already feel 150% better. The doctors are amazing, and they all keep full communication with me to ensure that I am healing properly. The only downfall is the lil teen girls that work at the check in counters who give you the "how dare you" look when you walk up to check in because they were having a deep discussion on what their friend Kimberly was wearing the night before LOL. But even that has been changing lately, I've noticed more mature persons working those desks and they are always professional and smiling. Overall I'm happy with my choice.

[cynwldkat]

Personally I have Kaiser and had both good and bad luck. It depends on "which" Kaiser you go to. The people are friendly and you are covered well. They are very pro-active and try to keep their patients healthy. I also agree it helps a whole lot by having a good Dr. but I think that's true with any kind of health coverage. I certainly don't think they are perfect but none of the insurances are!!!

[9126ebk]

Kaiser is good for preventive care. Meaning if you know your healthy and dont have any issues Kaiser is fine . If you do have issues or think you do (or anyone in your family thats going to be covered) go PPO.