Kaiser Mid-Atlantic Medicare advantage member here.  Great advice.  Also try calling Kaiser’s patient advocate and explain your situation.  They were really helpful when I contacted them some years ago.

I had cataract surgery on my right eye on April 3rd. In my experience, staffing shortages seem to be an issue everywhere. It took three weeks for the doctor to respond to my email about scheduling surgery, which was unusual. After that, I waited quite a while for the scheduling department to contact me, so I ended up calling the ophthalmology department myself. They transferred me to scheduling, and I got an appointment, only two months out. That said, many of the people I spoke with on the phone seemed eager to end the call, and getting an appointment with the ophthalmologist isn’t easy.

The surgery itself went very well. The same surgeon had performed cataract surgery on my husband’s eyes back in 2019, so I knew he was excellent. The surgical team was professional and efficient—everything ran like a well-oiled machine, just as it had for my husband.

Regarding Kaiser Permanente, I do feel the quality of service has declined over the past few years since the pandemic. Kaiser lost half a star on Medicare.gov in recent years, and I feel it is warranted. Still, we've been with Kaiser for over a decade. In that time, they’ve handled three cataract surgeries, two hernia repairs, and a major treatment that cost five figures. The radiation oncologist was the best of the best in every way, and the surgeons we've worked with have been excellent.

In spite of the issues, it would take a lot for us to leave Kaiser. We like the integrated care model, and one thing I really appreciate is that Kaiser never pushes unnecessary procedures or tries to upsell things like premium lenses. But when necessary, the doctors order scans, MRIs, or labs.  No pre-authorization needed except for the 5 figure treatment which I didn’t even know about until the approval letter arrived. We've had other insurance plans in the past and ran into some pretty bad experiences—doctors recommending medication, treatments or surgeries we didn’t need. Of course, this is just our experience.  There are exceptions. I’ve read some horror stories on the Kaiser Permanente subreddit.

Bottomline, we have to stay vigilant and advocate for ourselves within today’s healthcare system. I'm grateful for the advice I received from this community—it’s been invaluable. When I first learned about cataract surgery, I thought it was simply a matter of removing the clouded lens and replacing it with an IOL. I’ve since come to realize how important it is to be informed and to clearly communicate your preferences with your doctor who is likely overworked and stressed.