any Kaiser members out there?

WW393731 — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:46:38 GMT

long time kaiser member, now when needed the most with recent lung cancer diagnosis, Kaiser sure seems to be dropping the ball and uncertain where to get help.

several problems:

1. hospitalized for 7 days with more testing needed so they decide to discharge patient notifying family with about a 3 hour window (even though we were visiting just before that) during that time the hospital bed and hoyer lift arrived and was set up to accept patient. However, more test are needed and patient is immobile. Do you think Kaiser realizes that tests are done in the hospital not at the home and each and every time they need a new test that is performed at the hospital that they are paying the ambulance fees per his plan but how jolting this is for the patient> Why not just keep him in the hospital until the testing is complete?

2 Today kaiser decided he needs an imaging appointment and it is scheduled for Friday. We asked about providing the transportation via ambulance per his plan to the hospital, something Kaiser has provided and taken care of the last 4 times. Today they say we have to arrange it. Remember they have provided 4 trips already for him and they arranged it so why not this one? Called Member Services who gave me a number to call. They also told me the doctor has to request this service. Called the number to find out it is not the ambulance service they use, instead it is a door to door bus or van that requires the patient be mobile to get to the front of house. What part of immobile do they not understand? So gave us another number to call, wait or call back time is 3 hours. Meanwhile I call the advice line hoping to get the doctor office to authorize this. BTW this is the same dr office that was contacted on their portal several days ago before the hospitalization to request medication change, THE DR OFFICE NEVER REPLIED. So trying to talk to someone on advice line regarding contacting the dr office, they said they could leave a message with the dr office I say the same one that never replied 2 weeks ago? Of course patients can no longer contact their dr office themselves, they have to go through the advice line and if it is deemed worthy enough the dr office will be notified. I asked them what constitutes worthiness?

3. Who might one contact for caretaker support at Kaiser? When a dr calls the only number left is the general number, how the heck are we supposed to know how to contact the dr if we go to a switchboard? Previously when I reached out to Kaiser for caretaker support they said for depression patients they only provide support if the patient is a drug addict. We have no clue as to what kind of life after hospital to expect. Don't caretakers and family members, especially on record, deserve some kind of communication?

Just at a loss as to who might be able to help at Kaiser, what department to contact, and what services they might offer.

Thanks for your help.

Re: any Kaiser members out there?

GailL1 — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 01:58:46 GMT

Sounds like this is a difficult situation - Most patient’s aren’t diagnosed when they are already in a hospital. They have some symptoms - they go see their primary care doc -he may be even treating them for something else like allergies. But they don’t improve so he gives more exams and may order a chest Xray and then something very suspicious.

He may refer them to a pulmonologist - and he orders perhaps an MRI or CT Scan which are better images to see whatever is there. He or a radiologist reads the image and if there is still suspicion of what it is or the extent of it - a biopsy is order.

During all of this they can see the extent of the tumor and its involvement with other parts of the body, like the lymph nodes - They will do other test if there are other symptoms to see if it is already in the bones or brain All of this is for the knowledge of how for the disease has progressed.

Then the oncologist develops a plan - how to treat it or slow or stop the growth - but it is a lot harder if the cancer has already spead to different areas since a more systemic approach has to be done than a targeted one.

This sounds like it takes a long time but it doesn’t - we might be talking a few days - perhaps a week at the most. Just depends on how fast an oncologist can be brought onboard and treatment is started - Treatment is not alway to produce a cure - in fact many times there is no cure - extending life while measuring their quality of life maybe the total goal. Many times the patient has to make these hard decisions - how do you want your remaining days to be - That maybe the 1st conversation a oncologist has with a cancer patient that is in a late stage.

Yes, it does help that the patient can move about and go hither and yon for test and treatments. These are not the type that would keep a patient in a hospital - they can get it as outpatient if no surgery is planned - either radiology or chemo treatments can be done as outpatient. But yes, that does mean that somebody has to get them there.

It sounds like the patient and their family or at least the one with the healthcare power from the patient needs to have a sit down with the lead oncologist and understand the plan of care. That is when you can bring up the mobility issues and what suggestions they might have for overcoming this problem.

Most likely a transport could be arranged but that might mean if the beneficiary has both Medicare and Medicaid because normally Medicare does not cover transport to and from outpatient treatments - but I don’t know Kaiser -

Health insurers cover matters of health - diseases, diagnosis and treatments - they do not get involved in providing care for ADLs (activities of daily living) that is usually up to the patient to pay out of pocket or they are also covered by MEDICAID which does cover some home health.

All I can say is read the explanation of benefits that came with the Kaiser health policy. It should be pretty specific.

Now IF the beneficiary ever decides to go on Hospice care instead of staying in treatment care - they will go back on traditional Medicare for this Hospice care and the Kaiser MA plan would just cover other care not related to the condition that they are under Hospice care.

Medicare.gov-Medicare Hospice Benefits

I wish you and the patient peace as you go thru these difficult steps/

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any Kaiser members out there?

Re: any Kaiser members out there?