This article is reprinted from the Speak Out Now healthcare newsletter at Kaiser and Highland Hospitals in Oakland, CA.
In 2022, when Northern California Kaiser mental health workers went on strike for 10 weeks, Kaiser publicly claimed they were finding alternative providers. They did this because even during a strike, Kaiser is required by California law to find appointments with alternative providers in a timely manner and of a similar clinical standard.
Yet the state’s Department of Managed Health Care, the agency that regulates managed health care plans, discovered that Kaiser lied and broke the law. Kaiser had canceled over 100,000 appointments without offering timely, comparable care for many patients—and was forced to pay a $200 million settlement.
Fast forward to the ongoing southern California Kaiser mental health workers strike, which started on October 21st, and Kaiser is doing the same thing! Despite public assurances, there are reports of widespread cancellations, affecting everything from teen therapy to eating disorder treatments. Is Kaiser breaking the law once more? Would we be surprised if it’s the same story?
Click here to read the article printed in the 12-18-24 Healthcare Newsletter
