Kaiser, Don't Deny

Patients need access to timely and consistent mental health services

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Patient Stories

This level of neglect is unacceptable

Published Monday, February 4, 2019

My 18-year-old sister has anxiety attacks, depression, and a history of self-harm. When she moved to a new town, her anxiety went through the roof. She would call me at all hours, unable to sleep, paralyzed with fear. The disruptive thoughts were so crippling that at times she wasn’t able to leave her house to go to work. She tried to make an appointment with a mental healthcare provider at Kaiser, and was offered an appointment eight weeks away. When I tried to find her additional help through local services, they denied her because she had insurance. We even considered dropping her off of the Kaiser insurance so that she could use MediCal and get the help she needed in a reasonable amount of time. This level of neglect is unacceptable. Kaiser needs more mental health clinicians NOW.

Bryanna
Napa