Dying Cancer patient denied Opioids by Kaiser
This shocking and compelling story needs to be shared with the Public and Governing Agencies (Medicare, CDC, NIH, DEA) via the Press and Social Media. We are old, sick, exhausted and need help because we don’t know how to do it and are just struggling to survive. What an unimaginable choice, Chemotherapy or Opioids, because Kaiser Permanente will not give you both.
1/17/2019, I watched my partner of 50 years as she was forced to sign her own death warrant. She was forced to give up the Keytruda (a gene targeted Chemotherapy that was shrinking her tumors or at least stopping the growth) that was helping her, and sign up for Medicare’s Hospice program, because they were the only one’s willing to give her pain medicine. Most assuredly this will hasten her demise, but she just could not stand the pain any longer.
She has been fighting so hard for the last two years. She has metastasized Lung Cancer and has had a Lobe of her Lung removed. Between the Lung Cancer, Congestive Heart Failure (18 Heart Attacks last year) and COPD (on oxygen now) she is struggling to survive. In the last two years, half a dozen doctors have told her she would be dead within six months. She keeps fighting with a joyously fierce attitude. She wakes up happy every day, thankful to be alive for another day, no matter what it brings.
She explained that she had been taking Cannabidiol capsules (Medicinal Marijuana – CBD), the Montel Williams brand, and that she received the herbal medicine through the prescription of a non-Kaiser doctor in compliance with California laws. The very same Cannabidiol capsules that a Harvard University Study recently said can stop the growth of her type of Lung Cancer tumors in two weeks. Kaiser’s reply to this was that she was “a drug addict buying street drugs” and wrote on her file in capital letters that she was not to receive pain medicine ever again. All this because she tested positive for Marijuana a second time.
We both have pleaded and appealed for years to have our methadone back, to no avail. She originally had her Opioids denied because her drug test came back positive for marijuana. Before that she was a traditional 76-year-old little arthritic woman with one leg, cancer, a bad heart and multiple other problems that was being cared for with pain management, without any problems or misuse. They called her, and many others, Drug addicts and told us to stop whining and go to Rehab. Her primary Care Doctor trembled, and her voice shook as she said, “NO, they will take my medical license and put me in Jail.” She seems to be truly terrified. The Heart Doctor also said “No.” We think either the Heart Doctor or one of the ER doctors sent a referral for her to Hospice. But the Heart Doctor also told her “no pain medicine, consult the Pain Clinic.” The Cancer Doctor told the Hospice people to go away, because she can no longer receive the life prolonging chemotherapy drug (Keytruda), if on Hospice. He also referred her back to the Pain Clinic. Essentially all her doctors refused to give her back the pain medicine that she had been on for years as a documented chronic pain patient. The Kaiser doctors all refer everybody now to the Pain Clinic, who always says NO to anything. The only one’s that offered to treat her pain with Opioids was Hospice. Her unbelievably difficult choice was to suffer pain and continue with the Keytruda, the targeted Lung Cancer drug that was shrinking cancer tumors, or just give up and sign the DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) and go on Hospice where she can get pain relief. The Hospice people are kind, sympathetic, considerate and they will lessen your pain, but you will probably die sooner without the life-saving chemotherapy. She just could no longer stand the unrelenting pain and was forced to make this excruciatingly difficult decision knowing that it would shorten her life.
One of the worst things about the Kaiser Permanente Pain Clinic is their smug arrogance. They call patients “drug addicts” to your face and tell you to “stop whining, nobody ever died from Methadone withdrawal.” When you say you want to appeal, they laugh at you. They stonewall you and make you run a gauntlet to delay time. They make you go to Psychiatrists, Physical Therapy, endless meetings and take massive amounts of Gabapentin/Neurontin (an anti-seizure medication) for months which does not help pain and has bad side effects and finally send you to the Dependence and Rehabilitation facility. The Pain Clinic states with a straight face that, “pain medicine doesn’t help pain patients.” It helped us and improved our quality of life. I have repeatedly asked for a copy of Kaiser’s Guidelines or State and Federal Statutes, Codes and Regulations they were following, so I could understand what I was fighting against. It is just basic Discovery. They have repeatedly refused to give out this information even though I provided them with California Codes, Health & Safety Statute 124960 d (A patient suffering from severe chronic pain should have access to proper treatment for his or her pain) and the Business & Professions Statute 2241.5a and b (No physician shall be subject to disciplinary action for prescribing, dispensing, or administering dangerous drugs or prescription controlled substances in accordance with this section). I submitted Statutes about the Patient’s Bill of Rights. Kaiser Pain Doctors do not even take appeals seriously. They don’t sign or even print their names. They lie, evade and do not even answers all the questions when asked in a formal Appeal. Also, they absolutely refuse to tell you their policy on Marijuana. They don’t take you seriously and don’t even say “sorry, it’s Federal.” They just ignore you or laugh at you and give you off-hand vague comments. They are insensitive bullies. Most doctor’s at least show some sympathy or compassion while saying “No.”
If she is healthy enough to be transported, she wants to rally and fight this miscarriage of justice and lack of common-sense morality. She knows she will probably die before this fight is over, but she wants to help all the other people affected by this mess. She wants to help me and my crumbling spine, even though I passed the second THC drug test, and yet, they still took my pain meds away nine or ten months ago for no reason. This reaction to the Opioid Hysteria is hurting the wrong people. Who is counting how many chronic pain patients and Senior Citizens have been broken and given up under this harsh treatment and committed suicide? This over reaction is forcing people to suffer.
It is so difficult fighting the uninformed prejudice against Cannabidiols. With all her expensive ER visits, CT and MRI scans and the $13,000, every three weeks for her Chemotherapy, one can only wonder if Kaiser is just trying to save money? Is Kaiser literally just passing the buck? Is this as bad as when Kaiser dumped a sick elderly woman in her hospital gown by taxi on the streets of LA in front of a homeless shelter?
This is a hellish nightmare to be putting chronic pain patients, senior citizens and even terminal cancer patients through. I can find no possible justification for this cruel inhumane treatment. If you know anyone who can help resolve this issue, please help put us in contact. If we all stand up together maybe, we can help each other. So many unfortunate people have been caught up in this web of misery and opioid prohibition, just because someone has the opinion that we should no longer have access to these life-sustaining pain medications. The Pain Clinic is fond of saying, “opioids are not appropriate or indicated for long term chronic pain.” We are also weighing the feasibility, effectiveness and Optics of picketing on Kaiser property and having them arrest and place some old ladies, rickety pain patients in patrol cars. Will it further our cause or just kill us off. I am so tired of living needlessly in pain every day. I am tired of my sprit withering away while my body atrophies. We are not suicidal, exactly the opposite, but I anticipate this rate rising due even more to this treatment of our elders.
This is the second time I have been sent information regarding intractable chronic pain pts having Kaiser in California and would seem to be pt abuse. The other one was a 50 something person with intractable chronic pain that was getting sufficient pain management meds to not only hold down a full time specialty mechanic job but was able to routinely work OVERTIME… resulting in him making $200,000/yr and never missing a day of work. He was transferred from his normal Kaiser prescriber to a PAIN SPECIALIST…. who immediately informed him that his opiates were going to be reduced … if not eliminated and he told me that this pain specialist told him that he might as well apply for disability and that she was going to attempt to have his driver’s license revoked because she did not want him driving while taking opiates and potentially harming himself or others in driving while taking opiates.
Perhaps she had a chronic case of Medically Deity Complex ?
I have contacted three TV stations in the area that these people live and forwarded this letter to them and pick up on their story and give Kaiser a severe acute case of BAD PR and hopefully will draw a lot of other Kaiser’s pts to come out and SPEAK UP.
Filed under: General Problems
Medicare Advantage plans are not good for pll. The plans are great as long as you remain healthy but as soon as you have a problem trouble starts. The plans are touted as free but have copays and Doctor restrictions. My husband was on an advantage plan before I reached 65. When I was eligible for Medicare I said no way was I going on an Advantage plan. The government gives our medicare dollars (In large amounts) each month to the Advantage insurance plan. That is why those programs are pushed upon turning 65. Usually we are fairly healthy at 65 so Advantage plan looks good. The insurers love that the government is paying large amount for you joining the program. Big bucks to the Advantage insurance company while you don’t need them. The old adage that “you get what you pay for” is true. If you can afford it do not sign up for any Advantage plan.
So sick of having to choose when the pain is bad enough to take a pill that I may need worse later. The AMA (you know that group made up of DOCTORS) has declared that the CDC guidlines are unreasonable and dangerous for chronic pain patients and should be ignored. As on 2018 the amount of deaths from overdoses involving opiods was almost equalwd by the number of pain patients that had committed suicide because of their pain. We are being killed by doctors who are too cowardly to do whats right and they run no legal barriers at all.
I’m in a similar boat with chronic pain, long term safe opiate use and cannabis has helped me to live. My life has been a disaster since kaiser took over my care and insisted on me stopping cannabis cold turkey after using for 15 years. Count me in in any action against kaiser. They have caused me to be hospitalized on a psych hold from being in so much agony ever since they decided to change my former successful regimen and a panic attack fron quitting cannabis suddenly and with zero advice on how to quit it right. They’re also reducing my pills with nothing to replace them for my pain.
The state of patient care in”crisis mode”
recent tweet I saw: If I were terminal and being made to suffer I might just snap and make the ones causing my suffering to suffer very severely themselves.
Some of these people certainly deserve such treatment!
This is cruel and unusual punishment! Has anyone contacted her congressional representative I feel for her we have to stop this madness!
Medical marijuana is the best….please let the cancer patients know they can smoke it…vape it…eat it or rub it on it work and it cure cancer
Oh come on, “cure cancer”?? Help some with nausea &/or pain, yes, for some. But cure cancer? Stop toking for a few hours & join this planet.
I do not smoke, eat, vape, or use marijuana cream but I HAVE read “tons” of research that says it kills cancer cells. Maybe YOU should join this planet???
Okey doke, whatever you say.
Ive said it before: We must all , as ONE PEOPLE, including addicts, BOYCOTT all NON emergency procedures , surgeries, and dr visits. We must stop allowign them to use our bodies as ATM machines. Addicts must be informed about the dangers of SUboxone, and the fact that addiction “treatment centers” have NO DATA to prove they even work, based on their own admissions I have on tape. John Hopkins addiction and behavioral health center asst to the director admitted they “keep no data on their patients” even follow up!!! So the efiicacy rates are falsified! If we can all band together and have at least 20 % of the population refuse to engage anymore they will come begging us. And then we will win. Decriminalize and regulate as well as legalize other substances for people, Single Payer, abolition of the PDMP, and re direct all pain management BACK to PCP’s who should be given an intensive 6 week course on real PM. Do not waiver, do not negotiate. There is no more negotiation with these sociopaths ( Medical establishment, DEA, CDC and addiction related industry) That is how we win: starve them out.
YEP!!!…i agree Heidi!!!…..Hit em in their pocketbooks!!!!…..then maybe dr.s will stand up for us!!!!
Well I tell people all the time if you had a crappy pm doctor visit or ER people should protest that doctors office. It only take a few people out there for hour or so at a time that people will notice. Also new patients after talking to you will go see another doctor if you were treated badly. You can protest a doctor just make sure you stay on the public sidewalk and do not block any doors ect. Basically we need to start doing something because these doctors are just keeping us sick so they can just make more money. Meanwhile educate the patient on the pros and cons of opiates and let the patient sign waiver that they will not hold the doctor responsible if they mix other drugs that are not approved or do not take it as prescribe.
If someome abuses the medication well then it there loss.
Picketing protesting in LARGE NUMBERS of people outside of their offices is a great idea. Probably the only thing that will gain any attention nationwide.
Sure hope this man is contacting every news agency and also lawyers about this!
The patient and all others who find themselves in this predicament should be filing complaints to the California Board of Medicine and also filing malpractice lawsuits against each and every medical provider and the clinic itself for its’ heinous and despicable actions. Failing to provide requested citations in and of itself is unethical and should result in board actions and lawsuit verdicts by its’ own right.
Ive filed many complaints…and consulted attourneys….they dont respond most of the time…and when they do..they tell you they NEED to follow guidelines and prevent addiction…its all about addiction….attourneys wont touch it…this is in oregon…..similar thing happened to me…my husband moved me out of the state..i was dying!…..
What someone wrote,,”,1st words out of his mouth,” Ditto w /my pain management doc,2 visits ago,,exact same words,,”WE don’t do opiates for arthritis,”unquote,”For I had been diagnosed by doctors up in Madison w/lymes via blood work,,,,,,,Last appt,he tried to force me to admit my pain had changed,when it has not,,and when I disagree’d w/him,,,he started saying all my pain via thoracic muscles destroyed was due to my home life,,ie owning a horse and having to pitcjh hay,,which I can’t even do anymore,barely,some days I can handle 30 minutes of forcible enduring physical pain and w/the medicine drop,,,am done,, no more the 30 minutes i can forcible endure the physical pain,,,Soo essential telling me,,either i play ball or i will claim its your hobby farm that injured your thoracic,,ie,,insurance companies have been known to claim,”hobby farms,” as industrial farming,,ie a business,,,thus carry your own ,”business insurance, type thing,,,,,,Well I guess vacuuming,shoveling,,,grass cutting etc,,,is domestic business,,wtf?!!
You know my brither died of cancer,,he worked shipyards in the Navy,,but when he was put in hospice,,,,these asholes demanding a blood test for ,”addiction gene,,”,,,NOT BECAUSE OF HIS WELFARE,,,,TO HAVE A JUSTIFICATION TO DENY HIM OPIATE MEDICINE WHILEST DYING!!!! hE WAS IN SEVERRE PHYSICAL PAIN BEFORE HIS DEATH,,AND THE LITTLE BIT OF methadone,,, WAS NOT DOING ANYTHING FOR HIM,,,NOTTA,,,, they tortured him to death,,which btw people,,,will cause u to die faster,,,less money for insurance companies!!and that’s what happen;d ,,,his heart stopped,,..Now his body was already endureing terminal cancer,,then u force the endurement of physical pain on top of the cancer,,,,it killed him quicker,,,exactly what ,”they want,”’,,,Il never forget this little Chinese women coming in,,,a doctor,,,stating they wanted to do this addiction gene blood test,,,,I just looked at his wife and said,,,r u kidding me,,,and she replied,,u know it hereditary,,i said what is,,,wanting physical pain lessen’d due to cancer,,???The little chinese doctor said,,,”well we don’t want him addicted on top of the cancer,”,,,,like my 49 year old brother wasn’t even in the room coherent,,,which he was!!!!,,,U CAN’T FIX STUPID,,,AND THIS SO-CALLED BEST ONOCOLOGIST IN THE CHICAGO LAND AREA,,WAS A IDIOT,,,ONE OF THOSE ,”GOD,” DOCTORS,” WHO THOUGHT SHE HAD THE RIGHT TO TORTURE ANOTHER HUMANBEING TO DEATH,,LITERALLY!!
My brother died,,3 days after that exchange of words ,,,his heart could no longer handle all that was FORCIBLE thrust’d upon it,
Soo if any so-call doctor ask to take such a blood test,,,IT NEVER EVER HAS TO DO W/YOUR WELFARE,,,,EVER,,,,,IT HAS TO DO W.THEIR WELFARE TO DENY U EFFECTIVE ACCESS TO MEDICINES TO LESSEN YOUR PHYSICAL PAIN!!FYI,,,,maryw
Oh Mary I am so very sorry for your loss. What they did to your brother is TORTURE and it’s about time those denying LIFESAVING pain medication to those requiring it should feel what its like walking one day in our shoes. My heart goes out to you and your brother. I wonder how many in congress are being denied pain relief or thier loved ones…I bet none of them are!!!!
Thank u Pam,,,its now 2019,,,,this happen’d 10 years ago,,,Soo were ok now,,,by will never forget,,,,Again,,,if any doc asks’ for this certain blood test,,the so-called addiction bood test,,,,it has nothing to o w/your welfare,,but everything to do will denial of access to opiate medicine maryw
Oh Boy. Where do I start. I am a Medicare patient. Due to economic restraints on a fixed income I was forced to try Kaiser Senior Advantage in 2017 You know 5he one touted to be the only 5 star Medicare advantage plan. I also have chronic pain .Severe at times. I was in a MVA 9/2016. I was broadsided by a big truck.I suffered Injuries followed by increased and new pain. I had UHC. I was being treated by pain specialist. After going to Kaiser in Jan.2017. My life became a living hell. They cut my opioid med to 7 days. They insisted I jump thru hoops seeing specialists. The PCP I was seeing had been my doc forc12 years before I retired in 2012 from that job w Kaiser insurance. She was like a stranger. She was hostile to my concerns. She insisted I go to her Pain clinic. Those people didnt even have any background or experience in pain management. I was denied my OPIOIDS and suffeered withdrawal nearly landing me in the Hospital. I fought for my life. I managed to get thru the year under their tight control. I received 7 day supply of pain med every week for the entire year. I threatened to sue. Filed a complaint with CMS. A grievance was started. I had a torn rotator cuff among other injury added to my already if problems. By some miracle I was able to squeeze by for the year.I told my PCP I would be dropping Kaiser for 2018 .She would be rid of me. And I would advise anyone I met to NOT TAKE KAISER INSURANCE. WROTE LETTER TO EDITOR.WHAT A FARCE. RUNNING SCARED FROM THE FEDS. THE GOVT HAS NO RIGHT TO DICTATE WHAT A DOC DOES TO TREAT THEIR PATIENTS.IF a person needs pain meds then they have a right to them with dignity. To maintain quality of life and functionality. To be able to see family. Go to a movie. Not be driven to bed rest in ago y or suicide because of unbearable pain. KAISER is the WORST.. Unbelievable what happened to you and your wife.. Ibam So Sorry. It is a crime and they need to be held accountable for cruel negligent care and malpractice
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I to am a Kaiser pt and have several diagnosis of chronic the most recent first told it was psoriatic arthritis then sent to rheumatologist at kaiser. The first thing out of her mouth was we don’t treat psoriatic arthritis with opioids. I gave her a look and said idi I ask you for opioid no. Then she examined me and said you have fibromyalgia for sure, deformed fingers wrists ordered some tests sent me a email alluding that I was positive for RA but she never actually said it but ordered 2 meds with serious side effects so I looked up my lab and xrays they all look positive for RA she tells me you won’t feel any improvement for 3 months, although the side effects I felt by pill 3.
My original injury was in 1995 I fell 15 ft off a cliff while hiking had head injury, Fracture thoracic spine t3,t4,t5 many strains, sprains 2 inch laceration on head requiring sutures, one by lip requiring sutures. I was 43 and had never missed a menses but never had one after that fall in the early years when I tried to bring that up they said just a quincedence right, never believed that for a minute. I was in a body brace for 6 months, off work for 6 months. At the time I was an Urgent Care manager for a hospital. I did go back to work at the original injury was given Vicodin 4 daily which I took on and off Over the years which was changed to 2 daily after the 6 months. I took this on and off for 20 years I could just call doc and refill no problem, never asked for stronger meds, never asked for more than I should was 120 pills so lasted 2-3 months, then I call and told to schedule appt did sign contract, do drug test and was given 60 pills, next time refill denied I went to see doctor and he said the rules and laws had changed and they could no longer give me the meds. He new I was smart and worked in medical field for years we had had plenty of talks about private medicine verses Kaiser. So when I called him on it he finally admitted that Kaiser policy was no narcotics for chronic conditions. I think April will be 2 years. My over all health, breathing issues, mobility have gravely declined in that time. They really don’t care I did make a complaint to the Medical Board close to a year ago received an original response but have not ever gotten a final report. I told my pcp I was filing a complaint against them and there policy he begged me not to. But to this day no pain meds even in flare I have been through injections by anesthesiologist, PT, OT, tens unit, they have given me probabably at least 15 off label seizure anti depressant type drugs, massage therapy which I paid for out of pocket, chiropractor on a recen flare I went back to chiropractor who said I had new comprssion fc in neck and a torn something in my shoulder. He said it was so bad he would not attempt to adjust they did heat, massage, biofeedback and after 2 weeks did a type of adjustment with a tool kind of like a hamer. Never did feel comfortable to do the regular manipulative type adjustment. I did fail to mention I also got sent to a psychiatrist who sees me every 6 months or so he gives me xanax for anxiety which I really never had before. But it does help me sleep some by relaxing muscle spasms. I was declared permanently disabled on my first attempt which many are denied I was seen by SS physician with my records and granted on first try. Later I asked pcp for DMV form to b3 filled out for handicap parking he said no you need to walk as much as possible, I asked for a permanent waiver for jury duty because I can’t sit all day plus the parking is very far that was also a no.
We pay almost a $1,000.00 per month for years and now my husband and I both have Medicare rates did not go down. We do have a 14 year old grandson who lives with us on the insurance, but our rate or co pays did not change when we got Medicare. My husband finally agreed to let us change from Kaiser and you have only 30 days per year to do that and during the 30 days husbands brother diagnosed with ca and died 3 weeks later so I missed the time for changing. Had 3 days to pick and they were all changing policies on 1/19 so I missed the time. But if make it another year we will not have Kaiser 2020.
Another kaiser night mare was one of there own employees had terminal brain ca, with weakness of one side, brain confusion and they would not sign disability forms and she was supposed to give medication to Cardiac patients. Her husband put the whole article on FB. He was raising the roof and filled complaints but someone that sickbshould not have had to go through all that trauma and they certainly should not have been expected to give medications to other patients. She was working using a walker.
Never should all entities be owned by one like they are the insurance, hospital, doctors, lab, X-ray pharmacy, legal dept all in one business. It is beneficial for the CEO but certainly not the patients.
They actually let my daughter in law appendix rupture she was in the wrong hospital and they would not authorize treatment or transfer 12 hours she was transferred to Kiser hospital had ruptured appindex and ended up in hospital septic 4-5 days. They tried to find an attorney to sue kaiser no one would take the assets because they have there own attorneys on staff.
Marlene.
We as pain patients HAVE to start recording these appointments if at all possible so as to show the public how legitimate patients are being treated !!! PLEASE look up the law’s regarding recording / video taping for your state and if its legal PLEASE do so that way these practices can be EXPOSED !!!
David Lets organize and fight back! Proemed44@yahoo.com