Systemic Cruelty!…read more
This review refers to the Kaiser Permanente Membership Benefits only (and not to the medical services):
I am an 84-year old senior on Social Security and switched to Kaiser from UCSD PPO in 2023. Initially Kaiser offered a wide range of benefits. To my dismay I had to find out that over time those benefits have been reduced substantially and unilaterally.
Here are a few examples:
1. Psychotherapy used to be offered (through Lifestance) as needed without time limits. Now, therapy must be authorized for every five sessions. I am being treated for anxiety and depression with extreme mood swings and suicidal feelings. My current psychotherapy helps a lot and is essential for my survival. Now I am afraid that time restrictions will be put in place.
2. Hearing aids used to be fully covered. Now standard hearing aids require a copayment of $1,999, whereas premium hearing aids require a copayment of $2,999. Evidently Kaiser does not seem to care if I walk around half-deaf, with all the social and mental consequences that come with that condition.
3. Over the Counter (OTC) Benefits used to be $120 (per quarter) with Medline and have been reduced, since 1/1/2026, to $75 with CVS. The amount of those OTC benefits has not only been lowered, but the eligible CVS products, as compared to Medline, are limited and are also greatly overpriced.
4. I took out additional insurance with Delta Care to cover dental services. This insurance has turned out to be worthless, because every dentist I went to for teeth cleaning insists on upselling me, e.g. Canyon Vista (700 Otay Lakes Rd, Chula Vista), Twin Oaks Dentistry (230 F Street, Suite C, Chula Vista). They typically present an extensive estimate of "necessary" services and refuse to proceed with teeth cleaning before those services have been accepted. Consequently, I need to go to a dentist outside of the Kaise/Delta Care network.
I have reason to believe that Kaiser is into cut-throat cost-slashing with the goal of profit-maximizing. I may be naive, but I thought the primary goal of any health organization should be to care for their patients. I experience this development as systemic cruelty.
Here is a bit of information on corporate finances, which substantiates my opinion.
Kaiser Permanente Net income in 2025: $9.3 billion
Kaiser Permanente Net income in 2024: $12.9 billion
Annual compensation figures of top executives (from 2024 IRS form 990):
1. Gregory A. Adams, Chairman and CEO
$12,976,050
2. Kimberly Horn, Executive Vice President and Group President
$6,474,308
3. Kathryn Lancaster, Executive Vice President and CFO
$5,004,087
Everybody in his/her right mind will find those numbers insanely out of balance. Many other Kaiser patients feel the same way. We will approach the media, because this unfair scenario is of community interest.
Before doing that, I decided to talk to Membership Services. After receiving lots of automated/AI-generated documents ("the costs have gone up") from Marissa on 9/22/26 I tried to talk to a supervisor named Shawn, who did not answer the phone. I obtained his "direct" number 951 280-7459 and left numerous messages between Tue, 9/22 and We, 9/30. In my first message I expressed my frustration and anger (no foul language), later I complaint in more detail, and in my last message on 9/30/26 I was shaking with frustration and started crying.
Evidently this individual of Member Services is ashamed or afraid of talking to members and instead is hiding behind bureaucratic notifications.
One would assume that a Membership Services rep has some basic psychological skills and proper training, which would enable him to handle expertly all kinds of interactions, from satisfied to critical to angry.
I experience the silent treatment by this Member Services rep Shawn (at 951 280-7459) not only as disrespectful, but also as insulting and even abusive. Many psychologists agree that not communicating at all is the worst form of communication. They also know that the best way to resolve any problem between human beings is direct, live human communication, instead of dumping automated messages on people. Kaiser may review its corporate culture under this aspect.
What is a Member Services Rep good for who does not talk to the members? Frankly, the man does not do his job and should be fired.
As a result of both Kaiser's slashing of benefits and the rep's refusal to have a human conversation I have fallen into a deep depression, even with suicidal feelings. It is absurd that my health care organization has triggered that condition, while it actually should be in the world of promoting their patients' physical and emotional well-being.