As Kaiser therapists approach the fourth week of an indefinite strike, an interesting twist has developed in the battle against California’s largest HMO.
is violating state laws by failing to offer its members timely access to mental health care during an open-ended strike that started on Aug. 15. The Department of Managed Health Care said it received 19 patient complaints from Aug. 15 to 20 about access to behavioral health appointments at Kaiser. The National Union of Healthcare Workers, which represents the striking therapists, also filed an official complaint with the agency, alleging Kaiser has been shirking its legal duty to provide care.
Kaiser said in a statement that several hundred mental health care workers were continuing to work and support members through the strike. “As of today, about 40% of our dedicated clinicians are caring for members instead of striking, with more returning each day,” Kaiser said in a statement last week. “In addition, our Kaiser Permanente psychiatrists, clinical managers, and other licensed clinicians have stepped in to meet with people needing care.
The union disputed Kaiser’s claims that an adequate workforce remains in place to meet members’ mental health needs. “Kaiser lies to patients about when they will get an appointment; they lie to state leaders about complying with California mental health access laws; and now they’re lying about how many therapists have crossed the picket line,” union spokesperson Matt Artz wrote in an email to SFGATE.
The Department of Managed Health Care is a regulatory body governing managed health care plans, and it has closely watched Kaiser’s mental health services after receiving complaints from patients in May. The department hit Kaiser with a $4 million penalty in 2013 for providing poor access to behavioral health services, including long wait times and actively discouraging patients from seeking individual care.
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