How many government institutions (besides schools) does Kaiser manipulate behind the scenes? NUHW Files Complaint Over Hiring of DMHC Attorney

DMHC Director (and former Kaiser counsel) Brent Barnhart

Kaiser has to make friends with school district officials in order to get favorable deals to insure school workers. It uses its expertise in mutual back-scratching at government agencies, too.

See full story HERE.

I've known for a long time that the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC or DOMHC) was in cahoots with Kaiser. DMHC responded to a complaint I filed by saying that Kaiser fulfilled its duty by taking X-rays, and was not obligated to look at them!

DOMC's actions shouldn't come a surprise, since Brent Barnhart,the Director of DMHC, is a former senior counsel at Kaiser Foundation Health Plan.

Having one of Brent Barnhart's attorneys move to Kaiser will make everything work smoothly. Marcy Gallagher will have access to Director Barnhart, and knowledge of the inner workings of DMHC. Although I can hardly imagine that things could actually get easier for Kaiser, since DMHC has to disapprove of SOMETHING every once in a while, just to pretend it's regulatory agency, right?

See full story HERE.

Sutter Health and Kaiser Permanente nurses strike September 22, 2011

Sept. 9, 2011
National Nurses United Announces One-Day Strike by 23,000 California RNs September 22
Market Watch

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- More than 23,000 registered nurses at 34 Northern and Central California hospitals will hold a one-day strike Thursday, September 22, the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United announced today.

The strike affects two of California's largest and most profitable hospital chains, Sutter Health and Kaiser Permanente, as well as Children's Hospital Oakland.

A centerpiece of the strike at the Sutter hospitals is Sutter's unprecedented demands for some 200 sweeping cuts in patient care and nurses standards on top of months of widespread reductions in availability of patient care services, motivated by commercial concerns, throughout the greater Bay Area.

Kaiser RNs will engage in sympathy strike activity to support other frontline healthcare workers who face demands for significant cuts in health benefits, which follow a steady series of local service reductions Kaiser has been enforcing for nurses and patients in Northern and Central California.

For Children's Oakland RNs, it will mark their third strike over efforts by the hospital administration to limit healthcare coverage for nurses and their families.

"Nurses will not accept drastic, unwarranted, and unconscionable cuts that harm our communities, harm our colleagues, and harm our families," said CNA Co-president Deborah Burger, RN.

According to CNA/NNU Sutter wants to restrict the ability of many of its nurses to advocate for patients in making clinical assessments of staffing and other patient needs; force nurses to work when sick, exposing fragile patients and themselves to illness; subject nurses to arbitrary discipline based on benchmark budget goals; and sharply raise out-of-pocket costs by thousands of dollars for nurses and their families. All despite amassing $3.7 billion in profits the past six years.

"We staunchly refuse to be silenced on patient care protections," said Sharon Tobin, a 24-year RN at Sutter Mills-Peninsula in Burlingame. "A common theme throughout management's proposals is removing our presence on committees that address important patient care issues and nursing practices. As nurses, we speak up, and we insist on standards that safeguard our patients, but Sutter doesn't want to hear about anything that might cut into their huge profits."

Kaiser RNs will strike in sympathy and support for Kaiser social workers, optometrists, psychologists, and other frontline workers who are striking September 22 to protest substantial reductions in healthcare and retirement coverage...

KaiserPapers prevailed in 1st Amendment Lawsuit

This case involves yet another plaintiff who refuses to be deposed. If they don't have a case, they shouldn't file a lawsuit. Some people use the courts to bankrupt and intimidate, not to seek justice. In this case the plaintiff and developer, Stuart Lichter, who refused to be deposed for seven months, and was ordered by the court to do so, suddenly withdrew the case with Prejudice.

KaiserPapers prevailed in 1st Amendment Lawsuit
December 1, 2009

...The Kaiser Permanente Reform Committee [website: The Kaiser Papers] has been in existence for over a decade...In January 2008, KPRC created a section on the Kaiser Papers website known as The Downey section: downey.kaiserpapers.info. Always the advocate for the public, the KPRC began to educate itself on the background and the projects surrounding the property. As with all other advocacy projects, it was KPRC’s intention to educate the public on the background of the Downey Property while also presenting material for the use of medical professionals and attorneys to assist the people that became ill while working on the properties.

Over a year ago, Stuart Lichter, the developer of the property, of IRG/Industrial Realty Group filed a defamation lawsuit against the Kaiser Papers; its owner Vickie Travis; Dina Padilla, a Congressional candidate; and two of the injured parties that became ill while working on the Downey Property.

In this lawsuit, the website, all of the Kaiser Papers, over 20,000 pages worth, was accused of presenting material that offended the developer. It is the KPRC’s belief that all of the parties first amendment rights were violated when the parties were sued and demands were made to eliminate not only the Downey Section but the entire Kaiser Papers advocacy website.

During this time, the Kaiser Papers website was hacked over 15 times and other parties gained access to the Kaiser Papers website illegally and without authorization. The FBI has been involved and is still receiving information as of December 1, 2009. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has been following the case for months. The Kaiser Papers website and all related websites were vandalized with the majority of the illegal alterations taking place one day before the court hearings.

...[On November 13, 2009] the Plaintiff and Developer, Stuart Lichter, who refused to be deposed for seven months and was ordered by the court to do so, suddenly withdrew the case with Prejudice. The lawsuit dismissed With Prejudice indicates that they can never again bring the same accusations in a court of law against any of the involved parties or the Kaiser Papers websites.

Patient safety and consumer advocates have seen an increase in Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) lawsuits. Although the parties involved and the Kaiser Papers website prevailed in fighting against this attempt to violate the parties’ first amendment rights, it was done so at an extreme detriment to all of the parties involved. This victory may be a victory for advocates across the country that may also face a challenge to their civil liberties but it is still a hardship for Leonard Martin. Although Mr. Martin had initially prevailed against this harassing lawsuit, Mr. Lichter filed an appeal against him. Consequently, this injured party, Leonard Martin who is very ill, now has a legal bill to defend his win in court where he had no bill before the appeal was filed.

You may read the court document which is a pdf download at:
http://downey.kaiserpapers.info/pdfs/Padilla Encl Endorsed Request for Dismissal.pdf

Kaiser has made $5 billiion in profits since 2009 and pays George Halvorson, it's CEO, nearly $8 million a year

Tell Kaiser: Support Health Insurance Reform

Even though it's a "not-for-profit" company, Kaiser has made $5 billiion in profits since 2009 and pays George Halvorson, it's CEO, nearly $8 million a year.

On top of that, Kaiser executives are ignoring their own employees whhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifo are asking for adequate staffing levels at Kaiser facilities, and they're trying to cut benefits for caregivers.

Please sign this letter to Mr. Halvorson, asking him to support AB 52. This bill would give state regulators the authority to reject excessive and discriminatory rate increases.

Please sign this letter to Kaiser asking them to support AB 52.

We, the undersigned, request that Kaiser Permanente support AB 52 to give the state the power to approve or deny proposed health insurance rate increases. This bill will give California the power it needs to protect consumers.

As a "not-for-profit" company, Kaiser has carefully cultivated a progressive image, but your opposition to AB 52 is anything but progressive. As a very profitable not-for-profit, having made $5 billion in profits since 2009, Kaiser certainly does not need the ability to raise rates on customers whenever it wants.

Kaiser has a real opportunity to lead the industry and reform health insurance in the state. Please make the right decision and support the passage of AB 52.