Kaiser Permanente's Mental Health Crisis: A Call to Action!

Ladies and Gentlemen, BUYERS BEWARE! Kaiser Permanente, the healthcare giant, is in hot water again, and this time, it's a mental health crisis that could affect millions of patients. The National Union of Healthcare Workers has just filed a complaint alleging that Kaiser is using unlicensed telephone service representatives to triage mental health patients—IN VIOLATION OF STATE LAW! This is a disaster waiting to happen, and it's time for Kaiser to step up and fix this mess!

Let's break this down:

1. The Problem: Kaiser Permanente is using unlicensed telephone service representatives to determine the treatment needs of mental health patients. These representatives ask a series of "Yes or No" questions and use an algorithm to decide the patient's condition. This is a recipe for disaster, folks! Mental health triage requires clinical judgment, not a computer algorithm.

2. The Consequences: This practice has led to delays in care and misdiagnosis. In one instance, a patient who had recently attempted suicide was incorrectly booked into a non-urgent intake assessment more than a week after being triaged. The patient's symptoms were so severe during the intake assessment that the therapist had to have the patient hospitalized on a psychiatric hold. This is unacceptable, and it's putting patients at risk!

3. The Law: California law states that health plans must provide for 24/7 triage services by telephone, which is defined as "communication with a physician, registered nurse, or other qualified health professional acting within their scope of practice and who is trained to screen or triage an enrollee who may need for the purpose of determining the urgency of the enrollee’s need for care." An unlicensed staff person may handle calls to ask questions on behalf of a licensed staff person to help ascertain the condition of the patient seeking care. However, California law states that "an unlicensed staff person shall not, under any circumstances, use the answers to those questions in an attempt to assess, evaluate, advise or make a decision regarding the condition of an enrollee or determine when an enrollee needs to be seen by a licensed medical professional."

4. The Solution: Kaiser needs to immediately stop this practice and return to using licensed therapists for mental health triage. The National Union of Healthcare Workers has requested that the California Department of Managed Health Care order Kaiser to do just that. This is a no-brainer, folks! Kaiser needs to prioritize patient safety and comply with state law.

5. The Investment Risk: If Kaiser continues to violate state laws regarding mental health triage, it faces significant long-term financial and reputational risks. These risks could potentially affect its investment value. For instance, Kaiser Permanente has already faced substantial fines for violations. In 2023, it agreed to a $200 million settlement, which included a $50 million fine. Continued violations could lead to additional fines, further straining the company's financial resources. As stated, "The settlement includes a $50 million fine and requires Kaiser Permanente to fix major problems in its behavioral health services, such as providing patients with timely access to care."

6. The Reputational Risk: Continued violations could erode public trust in Kaiser Permanente's ability to provide quality mental health care. This could lead to a loss of patients and a decline in market share. As noted, "The DMHC is committed to using its full authority to hold Kaiser accountable and ensure enrollees have access to behavioral health care when they need it."

7. The Employee Morale: Employees, particularly mental health workers, may feel demoralized and undervalued, leading to higher turnover rates and difficulties in recruiting new talent. This is evident in the ongoing strikes and complaints from mental health workers, who have reported burnout and excessive workloads. For instance, "Kaiser Permanente is back in the hot seat as mental health workers in Southern California wage a strike that’s in its fourth month. KP therapists and union representatives accuse the HMO giant of saddling workers with excessive caseloads and often forcing patients to wait twice as long as the state allows for follow-up appointments."

8. The Regulatory Scrutiny: Increased regulatory scrutiny could lead to more frequent and stringent inspections, further complicating operations and potentially uncovering additional violations. The state department opened a second investigation regarding Kaiser’s behavioral health services during the strike, highlighting the heightened scrutiny.

9. The Impact on Investment Value: Negative publicity and financial strain could lead to a decline in stock performance, making the company less attractive to investors. As Kaiser Permanente is the largest healthcare service plan in the state with over 9 million California enrollees and over $91 billion in total year revenue during 2022, any decline in performance could have a significant impact on its investment value.

10. The Call to Action: Kaiser needs to take immediate action to address this crisis. The National Union of Healthcare Workers has tried to engage Kaiser over its concerns with the new triage system since it was implemented last year, but Kaiser has refused to discuss the issue. This is unacceptable, and it's time for Kaiser to step up and fix this mess!



Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a crisis that needs to be addressed immediately. Kaiser Permanente needs to prioritize patient safety and comply with state law. The National Union of Healthcare Workers has requested that the California Department of Managed Health Care order Kaiser to immediately stop the practice in Kaiser’s Northern California region, which includes the Bay Area, Sacramento and the Central Valley. The union previously filed a complaint in April asking the regulatory agency to stop a similar practice in Kaiser’s Southern California region and impose further penalties against the giant HMO. This is a no-brainer, folks! Kaiser needs to take immediate action to address this crisis and prioritize patient safety.