California’s Kaiser Wrongly Denied Mental Health Care

Circle Connections: Policy & Regulatory Updates State investigators say Kaiser Foundation Health Plans improperly denied some patients timely access to mental health care, which may have worsened their conditions. More than 6.8 million Californians get their health care through the nonprofit, which is regulated by the state Department of Managed Health Care. In one Northern California location, investigators found by January 2012, the average proportion of patients waiting 15 days or more for an initial mental health appointment rose from 7 percent to 60 percent in eight months. By law, mental health care has to be as easily accessible . . .