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July 3, 2013 at 4:15 am #608091
margaret from vashonParticipantOkay, thank you my West Seattle friends for your patience. I am starting a new thread because the health insurance I recently obtained (after having none for a LONG time) is actually with Group Health. I would so appreciate any and all recommendations of facilities, physicians and other providers within this system. I’m willing to go across town for the best, if necessary. Thanks again for putting up with my confusion.
July 3, 2013 at 4:47 am #792971
miwsParticipantHi Margaret, I don’t know if you saw my posting from your other thread, where I recommended a Provider.
Here’s a Copy/Paste:
Margaret, if you are going to end up going to GH’s main campus on Cap Hill, I very strongly suggest Resident Dr. Katie Paul.
She has been in Residency up there for about a year or so now, and was my first Student Provider at Harborview, when she was a 4th year Med. Student.
I can’t say enough good about her, and could go on here forever.
She’s knowledgeable, thorough, takes her job seriously and is very pleasant to work with.
When I first started seeing her in late 2011, after a bout of pneumonia, and a relapse a month later, she took my then current, past, and potential future health issues into serious and thorough consideration.
She insisted on getting my records from another hospital from my bout with leukemia in 2008, since at that time It had been nearly three years since I’d been examined by an Oncologist to make sure it was still in remission.
She also made sure I was up to date on just about every vaccination available, since there was a chance I’d have to back to living back down at Nickelsville.
If you opt to consult with her, tell her Mike Stahl referred you, and that I said “Hi”. ;-)
Mike
July 3, 2013 at 5:12 am #792972
hammerheadParticipantMargaret,
If you just need basics go to the Burien one,it would not take you more than 20 minutes from the ferry, parking in capital is a bitch and pricey. The office in Burien place can actually do a lot in the medical stuff, and pick up prescriptions, I guess they will mail them too.
FYI, I just got a letter in the mail on Group Health about it becoming St Francis or something.
HH
July 3, 2013 at 6:12 am #792973
JanSParticipantthe story about St. Francis Hospital and Group Health only affects those in South King County. It has no impact on the local Group Health clinics
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19950928&slug=2144037
July 3, 2013 at 6:16 pm #792974
margaret from vashonParticipantThank you, miwis, on your “insider” story. This is the sort of thing I am looking for. I have a complicated medical situation and am looking for the best in providers and facilities both. I’d like to visit clean places where the people smile and remember me.
July 3, 2013 at 6:39 pm #792975
dhgParticipantI’m fairly new to GH and have had just a physical at the Burien facility but I was impressed. The doc spent an hour with me, not 10 minutes, which provided plenty of time to get to know him, and for him to get to know my issues. Too many clinics are working on the Ford model of assembly line efficiencies. GH appears to be more old-school.
July 3, 2013 at 7:29 pm #792976
trickycooljParticipantWith Group Health remember to be your own advocate and if you can’t make sure someone will be your advocate and ask questions and insist when necessary. There have been too many horror stories about Group Death in my family due to their ineffective quality of care. Sounds like they’ve cleaned up the system in the last decade or so, but I’m still quite leery.
July 3, 2013 at 9:31 pm #792977
margaret from vashonParticipantWondering if GH has particular hospitals affiliated with it? Does it matter which facility you use as home base, if you need hospital care?
July 4, 2013 at 3:52 am #792978
hammerheadParticipantAlso you don’t have to see a DR., you can see a P.A. Which I prefer actually, easier to get into and see.
July 4, 2013 at 3:57 am #792979
JanSParticipantI believe they use Virginia Mason Hospital, Margaret…
July 4, 2013 at 8:56 pm #792980
kurly212ParticipantI mainly use the Burien clinic due to proximity and parking, but my preferred primary care provider is PA Melissa Szocik at the Downtown Clinic (near 5th & Union). I’m one of those who prefers a PA or ARNP for general issues. She’s very warm and funny, which puts me at ease. She listens to my input and doesn’t act like a gatekeeper when I want to see a specialist. She’s not afraid to consult with one of the MDs on something complex. Plus, she’s easy to get in to see. I find the Burien clinic to be understaffed, even the PAs. I can never get in to see my official PC MD on a semi-urgent basis, so I’ve pretty much only seen her when I’ve needed a preventive exam. However, I do like using Burien for my allergy immunotherapy injections. The nurses there are experienced and friendly. Also, the Downtown clinic doesn’t have radiology services, which is a pain (no pun), so I recently had to make a separate trip to Burien for x-rays. (I could have gone to Capitol Hill if I’d driven to the Downtown clinic, but I’d taken the bus.)
Margaret, you can be seen at any GHC primary care clinic and it doesn’t affect where you can go for hospital care. Of course, if you see a specialist at Capitol Hill and you need hospital care from them, it would likely be at VMMC. GHC is also affiliated with Overlake in Bellevue, Harrison in Bremerton and Silverlake, Providence in Everett and Olympia, and St. Joseph in Tacoma.
Full disclosure: I work for Group Health, and I love my job, but I’m certainly not its biggest cheerleader when it comes to getting care here. Overall, I think the care is very good, but don’t get me started on how long it can take to get in to see a specialist if it’s not a life or death situation.
July 5, 2013 at 12:40 am #792981
afrikandoParticipantThe link provided above regarding Group Health’s association with the Franciscan system is nearly 20 years old… lol! GH has associations with nearly every hospital system in the state, but there are select hospitals that are preferred providers for the HMO plan, as kurly mentioned. Partnering with select facilities allows GH to better control quality and access as well as cost. I have been a GH consumer since moving to Seattle over 20 years ago and have been employed by the company for only a few years less than that.
Margaret, the three closest medical centers to you are Renton, Downtown, and Capitol Hill. If you happen to live near the south end Vashon ferry, then Tacoma or Federal Way medical centers would be reasonable alternatives. There are free parking lots at all but the Capitol Hill and Tacoma locations; street parking in Cap Hill is a pain, as someone noted. The pay parking lots in both Tacoma and Cap Hill are not expensive though—something like two dollars an hour. There is 24-hour Urgent Care (including after-hours pharmacy) at Cap Hill and Tacoma locations.
Go to the GH website and review the provider bios to help you decide who might be a good match. Group Health bases care on the medical home model, which allows your primary care provider to really spend time getting to know you and understand your health needs–the relationship is important so it’s smart for you to do your research! I have an MD at Capitol Hill but I’m happy to see a resident when I call for a same-day appointment.
Read about GH providers here: https://member.ghc.org/open/index.jhtml
July 5, 2013 at 12:42 am #792982
margaret from vashonParticipantKurly212, I so appreciate the detailed response, complete with full disclosure. It is just the sort of info I am looking for. I have been procrastinating getting the health care I need because I feel overwhelmed by the system. This gives some faces and names to it all. A place to begin, anyway. I love West Seattle.
July 5, 2013 at 4:54 am #792983
kurly212ParticipantHappy to help, Margaret! Just to clarify what afrikando said about parking at the medical centers – the Downtown clinic also does not have free parking. It does have a parking garage in the building, but it is pricey (like, $10-12 and they don’t validate), which is why I take the bus when I go there.
July 5, 2013 at 9:52 pm #792984
FullTiltParticipantOur whole family uses the Burien location and have been very happy with it. They do lab work, injections, X-rays, pharmacy- all in the same building. It makes life much much easier! I get blood work done about once a month (warfarin monitoring- which GH has a special department for and they are awesome.) and most of the staff has been there for the 8+ years I’ve been going there.
Remember that with group health all your info is digital, so everyone involved in your care is looking at the same info. That also makes it very easy to switch docs if you are unhappy.
Also make sure to check out the website and smart phone app. You can email docs, refill meds, set up appointments, check lab results…lots of great conveniences!
July 6, 2013 at 6:33 am #792985
KameMemberFullTilt – do you have any Doc recommendations at the Burien clinic? I have GH only insurance now so I have to switch all my doctors including pediatrician and gynecologist.
July 6, 2013 at 1:02 pm #792986
BonnieParticipantWhen I went to Burien I saw Dr. Sarah Levy and liked her a lot. I just looked her up and see she moved to Northgate. My gynecologist was Dr. Tracey Flum who is on Capitol Hill and I loved her.
July 6, 2013 at 11:34 pm #792987
FullTiltParticipantFor pediatrition I think Burien only has one- Dr. Chao. She’s fantastic, friendly, answers every question, and is cautious but not crazy paranoid. She is great about explaining what she is concerned about, looking for, etc, and when to worry or not. Her support staff are great too. I had a doc that I liked a lot but she moved away. Now my doc is fine, but I don’t see her much.
July 7, 2013 at 11:37 pm #792988
margaret from vashonParticipantWhile the suggestions are flowing, I am wondering what GH’s policy is on the subject of physical therapy and therapeutic massage? Also, can anyone recommend a great dermatologist? My experience back in the way-back times when I did have other insurance was that derms had a year-long backup in appointments. Is that true of Group Health?
July 8, 2013 at 11:20 pm #792989
kurly212ParticipantMargaret, the number of covered visits varies from plan to plan, so be sure to check your benefit booklet or call customer service. My plan allows for up to 60 rehab visits, which includes PT and massage therapy. In my experience, it is very easy to get a PT referral. Massage therapy can be tricky. If it’s a new problem, you will probably be approved for massage a couple times (around 8 visits a pop). After that, you’ll probably be denied because they’ll deem it a chronic problem. They usually approve massage for acute problems only. In my case it didn’t matter that it went away for awhile and then recurred. Again, this is just my experience. They’re probably more lenient with more severe conditions than mine.
As for dermatology, yes, when I mentioned in an earlier post that I wasn’t happy with how long it takes to see a specialist, Derm was the first one I was thinking of. In my experience, Central Derm is backed up about 3 months, but you can ask to be referred to VM Derm or Mercer Island Derm (sometimes they’ll even offer it), and then you’ll probably get in within 3 weeks. I’ve seen 3 dermatologists at VM Derm, and Dr. Ulrike Ochs is the one I prefer.
Oh, and while Derm is one of the specialties you can see without a referral, you’ll get in faster with a referral. This goes for any of the specialties that allow for “self-referral.”
July 9, 2013 at 12:47 am #792990
JanSParticipantyou will always need a referral for massage. The referral goes from the docs office to their internal approval office, and then you get a letter with diagnosis, amt. of copay, how many are approved, dates that you have to get them all done by. Massage therapists that are providers have a website that we can check before the letter comes in the mail. Then we can book a massage for you. There are numerous massage providers for GH in West Seattle (I’m one – although not working this summer for health reasons). It all takes less than a week.
July 9, 2013 at 5:16 pm #792991
margaret from vashonParticipantI have severe chronic pain from a forty-year-old injury plus additional chronic condition that restricts daily activities. One of the only things that brings me relief and gets me back into Life is regular massage. Because of the chronic nature of my condition, however, I don’t hold out much hope that my insurance will be covering this for me. Any hints on how to approach this with doctors or insurers to get best results? THANKS!
July 9, 2013 at 5:40 pm #792992
kurly212ParticipantYou can appeal if you’re denied coverage. You can ask your doctor to write a letter on your behalf.
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