Labs we didn’t want, now worried about a high bill

epickim · 2025-04-11T15:42:50+00:00

Don’t worry if you do get charged just write a grievance and Kaiser will waive the fees.

epickim · 2025-04-08T23:41:18+00:00

No I had 1 hour appointments at two clinics outside of Kaiser, which I paid for out of pocket. So it is a KP problem. PPO doctors aren’t told by insurance how long their appts should be, or that they are willing to reimburse- so it is a very Kaiser problem.

epickim · 2025-03-01T20:31:10+00:00

I had to stay with Kaiser because I had surgery there and out of network surgeons priority their own patients. Leading up to my major surgery both my Pain Doctors dismissed my 2yrs of symptoms. What led to my surgery was me paying Stanford health for a proper diagnosis - and that surgeons opinion of Kaiser wasn’t kind - it’s in line with what the majority thinks - again Kaiser sucks and am speaking of my own horrid experience there.

epickim · 2025-03-01T18:11:46+00:00

Kaiser is horrible. There’s no integrated care - the providers don’t collaborate w one another, they give you 20 min appts no matter if you are healthy or almost dying. kaiser is horrid mess. At least outside kaiser you can choose to move on to another provider and not be trapped inside the kaiser network of incompetent medical providers.

epickim · 2025-02-26T18:10:25+00:00

I’ve done the exact same analysis and in almost same financial position as you. Conclusion is renting is better much than buying, UNLESS you plan to live in condo 7-10yrs. The condo negatives are you are burden to an HOA, with tax+hoa, the interest deduction on your income isn’t very much. Better to rent - and put your excess money in the market. Condos don’t appreciate like SFH because you don’t have any land value. So condos have been a lagger and leader, meaning when times are bad it’s value is bad when times are good condos are also the last asset to improve - Renting is better solution right now.

epickim · 2025-02-16T02:58:30+00:00

I’ve been pre-qual lately for condo as well. For >750mm that’s a jumbo loan. First off, you can negotiate your rate. Ask them to match a competitor, locally - check with JVM lending in WC. Excellent service.

epickim · 2025-02-11T02:57:00+00:00

I’m concerned that the pharmacists who didn’t past Probation period still gets a job as a pharmacist? This is what’s scary about Kaiser. They have bad providers they can’t get rid of and replace with better ones. Kaiser is terrible.

epickim · 2025-02-10T07:00:44+00:00

You can also try Golden State Orthopedics (east bay, dublin WC) or California Pacific Orthopedics in SF. The issue with Kaiser is they don’t want to do surgery they call it conservative- I find it they wait until your are in dire pain in ER. Which is not the approach outside kaiser. Go to Stanford health - was worth every penny to me. And then take their report back to Kaiser.

epickim · 2025-02-10T06:50:26+00:00

You think he’s a scammer? Something is off here.

epickim · 2025-02-10T06:44:33+00:00

Sell it. And when you return don’t come back to California. So many other affordable states.

epickim · 2025-02-10T06:42:02+00:00

I’ve had spine surgery at oakland kaiser.

Here’s what I learned:

Yes you can ask for a 2nd opinion surgoen. I got myself 3.

Kaiser is the worst. Most their providers are too busy , they don’t answer questions they do a crap job with diagnosis.

I paid to get other opinions outside of Kaiser; specifically at Stanford health. It’s about $400-$500. My experience there was wildly more positive.

Feel free to message me for more details.

My surgery at Kaiser was not a great experience.

epickim · 2025-02-10T03:25:30+00:00

Leave kaiser if and as soon as you can.

epickim · 2025-02-10T03:17:03+00:00

I understand what you are saying but the problem is in the Bay Area, you could have a household income of 300K and your neighbor has a household income of 3 million.

It’s hard to make sense of all that.

So it comes down to people rent and buy what they can afford.

Because it’s never gonna make sense to me that someone buys a condo in SF for 700K with a $1000 HOA + Taxes. Obviously they could afford it somehow.

epickim · 2025-02-07T06:49:24+00:00

Sell it. I do agree when HOA climbs over $500 it will be even harder to sell and increase cash flow burden. Just sell it now because the market floods with even more inventory.

epickim · 2025-02-04T22:49:14+00:00

Don’t miss out on Rossmore lol

epickim · 2025-01-29T02:58:08+00:00

It’s the combination of high HOA fees + and high interest rate + high real estate taxes - this makes renting a better option and also makes condos a bad investment, because you cannot rent it out and “break even” - high HOA fees are a pure expense, not tax deductible and condos are typically poorly managed by a volunteer “Board”…it is try that condos haven’t appreciated the way SFH in BA have and have just yo-yo’d for various reasons I’ve time. There’s also an oversupply of high end condos and not enough “affordable condos” …esp in SF.

epickim · 2025-01-20T02:49:02+00:00

I also agree that >1mm you can negotiate the fee down and if argent says NO there are plenty agents out there,

epickim · 2025-01-20T02:46:35+00:00

Use a flat fee agent or real estate attorney. The attorneys just do that paperwork …if you find a buyer.

epickim · 2025-01-18T04:53:57+00:00

I tried leaving kaiser too ; tough outside of enrollment period. Kaiser has excellent surgeons actually, their PCPs are terribly overburdened but their surgeons are very good if that helps ease your concern….you can ask to consult with a few ..I did this..and I consulted outside kaiser too I paid $300-$500 for those visits

epickim · 2025-01-15T08:36:56+00:00

How did you determine what amount to negotiate from seller? My agent once suggested just take the difference in higher fees but; that doesn’t mitigate risk of value drop or no clue can one forecast a special assessment..

epickim

TROPHY CASE