I heart Kaiser Permanente

HMOs have a bad rap and I'm setting the record straight.

Here's why I chose Kaiser Permanente for my medical needs at age 25:

1. I liked their website.

2. They made it easy to set up appointments over the phone and via the Internet.

3. They have a 24-hour “advice nurse” phone line which is helpful if your parent is not "just a phone call away".

4. Through the website you can choose a primary care physician and OB/GYN by location, gender, and biography. If you don't like your choice you can always change it later.

5. You can email non-urgent messages to your doctor through the website and your doctor has to respond within 48-hours.

6. Their website will send you an email when test results are available online.

At age 29, here's why I know Kaiser was the best decision I ever made:

1. When I was brought to the Kaiser emergency room after my first seizure the staff was able to retrieve my complete medical history, which aids staff in making decisions about my care... even when I'm unconscious.

2. After scans revealed I had a tumor in my brain, the head of neurology came down to see me and had me admitted to the hospital that night.

3. My newly acquired neurologist arranged for my transport to the neurosurgery center for the Sacramento region.

4. Once I got there I worked with Kaiser's neurological equivalent to Dr. House, except this doctor was way nicer.

5. My neurologist, neurosurgeon, oncologist, neuro-oncologist, OB/GYN, primary care practitioner, orthopedic doctor, and physical therapist are all informed about my medical status.

6. I never have to seek, or wait for, a referral. If a new specialist is needed for my care I get to see him/her as soon as I'm able to get a ride.

7. I can get lab work done at any Kaiser facility and the test results are sent electronically to the requesting doctor within minutes/hours (or a few days if it's analysis of brain tissue).

8. Kaiser specialists network with peers from other medical institutions and often seek second and third opinions for you. They'll even tell you who disagreed with them and why. If you want to get the second opinion yourself they are respectful of your decision and make sure you get all required materials to make this happen (e.g., charts, scans).

9. After my most recent brain surgery, my tissue was analyzed by pathologists in Sacramento and Oakland, then sent to Kaiser in Redwood City, who sent it along to UCLA.

10. While my friends and I did a lot of our own research, Kaiser made it easy for us to get treatment. We never had to figure it out all by ourselves and my doctors/nurse practitioners answered every question I had... even the silly questions.