December 23, 2024
We remain focused on providing care
When NUHW is ready to reengage meaningfully at the table, we will be ready.
We are now starting the 10th week of an unnecessary strike called by NUHW. Our patients are receiving timely access to mental health care and services through an extensive, high-quality network of 13,000 therapists across Southern California. Additionally, more than 45% of our therapists have returned to work and are caring for our patients and members.
NUHW continues to demand that we settle a contract agreement so therapists would spend almost 50% of their time in non-patient care. This is not logical and would result in 15,000 clinical appointments per month not being staffed.
At the same time, NUHW is demanding a salary increase that would place the pay of Kaiser Permanente therapists more than 40% above their peers in the market. This is also not logical. Kaiser Permanente’s philosophy is to pay our employees at market or up to 10% above the market. Our therapists are already paid at 18% above the market, and we are offering more.
NUHW is claiming that therapists do not receive a pension. This is false. Our therapists participate in a generous defined contribution pension plan that Kaiser Permanente matches up to 9%, almost double the national average contribution.
As has been true throughout this strike, any Kaiser Permanente member who needs an appointment is able to get one. Patients in crisis get care 24/7, those with urgent needs can get appointments within 48 hours, and patients seeking nonurgent care are seen on average within 6 days, which is better than the state’s requirement.
We have contacted every member who has had an appointment affected by the strike to offer care with a therapist. Some patients have elected to wait for their regular therapist to return from the strike, declining the opportunity to meet with an alternate provider. We are encouraging these patients to schedule an appointment, rather than delay their care. Members identified as higher risk are discouraged from postponing care and are regularly monitored by our clinical team.
We have invested more than $1 billion since 2020 to expand our mental health care in California. Despite a national workforce crisis, we’ve grown our mental health workforce in California by 22%, adding nearly 1,000 mental health professionals, and we are working to recruit an additional 350. We’ve added facilities throughout the region and expanded our capacity to increase in-person visits. This is how we have demonstrated our commitment to the total health and well-being of our members and patients.
We have been deeply disappointed by the union's lack of engagement in bargaining to this point. We are pleased that they have agreed to return to the bargaining table on January 9. We hope that NUHW is returning to the bargaining table with a sincere interest in reaching an agreement that is good for our therapists and members. However, if that does not turn out to be the case, we will continue to focus on providing affordable, high-quality care and service to our members.
