12-06-2006, 05:00 PM
I use Kaiser's Hilo clinic and have generally good things to say about them. The doctors work for Kaiser, so you don't have the problem of finding a doctor once you buy insurance. (I find it somewhat unsettling that HMSA, the local Blue Cross affiliate, sells policies to folks in Hilo when few, if any, of their Hilo doctors are taking new patients.)
Kaiser is as tightly (or more)controlled as most HMO's, but that is the way of the world these days. I like my doctor (Dr. Hu, yes her real name) and on one occasion got to use Dr. Roe, who I also liked. They seem to stress preventive care, which I think is good.
They use a formulary for medications, which means that if your med is not on their list, they won't pay for it. I had to change a routine prescription, but the new one seems to work OK.
One caveat, though. If you have a need for an appointment that falls short of emergency room criteria, but still needs attention right away, you have to be assertive with the triage nurse on the phone to get in quickly.
Overall, I am satisfied, and the cost is considerably less than I was paying in Georgia for similar coverage through a Blue Cross HMO. I would be interested in hearing about other folks' experience with Kaiser.
Cheers,
Jerry
Kaiser is as tightly (or more)controlled as most HMO's, but that is the way of the world these days. I like my doctor (Dr. Hu, yes her real name) and on one occasion got to use Dr. Roe, who I also liked. They seem to stress preventive care, which I think is good.
They use a formulary for medications, which means that if your med is not on their list, they won't pay for it. I had to change a routine prescription, but the new one seems to work OK.
One caveat, though. If you have a need for an appointment that falls short of emergency room criteria, but still needs attention right away, you have to be assertive with the triage nurse on the phone to get in quickly.
Overall, I am satisfied, and the cost is considerably less than I was paying in Georgia for similar coverage through a Blue Cross HMO. I would be interested in hearing about other folks' experience with Kaiser.
Cheers,
Jerry