Kaiser Permanente has agreed to pay a $4 million fine levied by the California Department of Managed Health Care for not providing sufficient access to mental health services for its millions of members in California, according to a report from KQED.
When the department issued the fine last year, Kaiser promised to appeal what amounts to the agency’s second biggest fine ever, but today it dropped any such plans, will pay the fine and promised to make improvements to its mental health offerings, the San Francisco Business Times reported.
Kaiser and the agency were set to give opening statements to an administrative law judge on Tuesday, but Kaiser faxed a letter to the court late Monday, saying it would pay the fine and asking the judge to dismiss the case.
Social workers and mental health workers for the Oakland-based HMO, backed by the National Union of Healthcare Workers, brought fourth the claims last year, arguing that long wait times resulted in tragic situations, even suicide in extreme cases, according to KQED. Clinicians and mental health workers said they weren’t able to provide therapy in a timely manner for patients coping with anxiety and depression and other conditions.
Although it agreed to pay the fine, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan said it still disagrees with the department’s ruling, which agreed with NUHW’s contention that patients often had to wait weeks. Kaiser did acknowledge, however, that some areas, including non-urgent appointment options and data tracking, “needed improvement,” according to SF Biz Times.
Kaiser also said is has improved its practices on mental health, allowing patients to select a therapist and adding steps to protect privacy, among other areas.
