This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Hello. Been awhile since I've been here but wanted to see if anyone on this forum is on Kaiser.

My husband (who has psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis) and I (MS) run our own business and have been paying our own premiums for Blue Shield, which (at over $1,200/month), have become burdensome. The only way I can see to lower our healthcare costs is to switch to Kaiser but I'm concerned about their quality of care for diseases like ours.

Any experiences, both positive and negative, are greatly appreciated.

Hi - I have Kaiser for my insurance and I have to say, I would not recommend them for people with MS. This is only my experience, but I have found Kaiser to be extremely reactive. I prefer a more aggressive approach, as I very much value my mobility and will do anything in my power to keep it. In CO where I live, they only have 7 neuros to choose from, none of whom are MS specialists. I have to drive 90 minutes one way to see my Kaiser neurologist. I give him credit, he does seem to genuinely care. But, my issue with Kasier and only having the option to see a non-ms specialist is that they are not up to speed with the ever-changing treatments for MS. I am on Tysabri, which is fairly new to the market. Researchers are learning new things about Ty daily, but it seems like Kaiser is very delayed in the things they are aware of regarding it. It makes me nervous, so I use Kaiser for my Tysabri prescription, but regularly see an MS specialist at UCH as well. I pay $450 per appointment to see the UCH specialist, but it is so worth it to me to be treated by someone who is leading Tysabri research. This is just what I have experienced with Kaiser. Hope that helps!