Thinking of Switching to Kaiser from Anthem HMO
Hey everyone, open enrollment is currently open at my work and I’m debating switching from Anthem to Kaiser.
I’ve had Anthem for a while, but I’m considering Kaiser because Anthem for me is overwhelming. I don’t feel like I use to my highest potential in terms of checking for my health. I am currently 25M (26M next week), generally healthy and I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic last year but I have been exercising on a regular basis and reevaluating my diet. The clinic that accepts Anthem doesn’t have appointments for months. I like the concept of having everything as a one stop shop and had a good experience of going there for my job physical last year and was out in 30 minutes. My colleagues had a good experience with Kaiser and we have a NonStop card to pay for co-pays.
A few things I’m curious about:
- Ease of getting appointments
- Quality of primary care and specialists: Is there any LGBTQ+ PCPs and/or culturally conscious PCPs?
- Mental health services: I heard it is not that great and I am exploring to get tested for ADHD or explore therapy. I am in LA for context but I am not sure if they gotten better since then.
- Prescription costs/process: I am currently on PrEP through AHF but I am not sure if the switch to Kaiser will make things smoother or complicated.
- Urgent care experiences
- How restrictive the “all-in-one system” feels
- If you came from Anthem, did it make things easier or complicated?
Any advice would be appreciated!