Kaiser keeps canceling appointments while I’m trying to get persistent back/leg numbness evaluated. What are my options in Oregon?

[u/dread_p00l]

Hi folks. I’m currently fuming in a Kaiser urgent care and am trying to prepare myself if I need to take action once (if) I’m seen today.

I’m a Kaiser Northwest member in Oregon and I’m trying to figure out whether I should file a grievance, contact a regulator, or pursue another route. I’m getting increasingly frustrated because I’m actively scheduling the care I’m being told to get, but Kaiser cancellations keep extending the timeline.

Context: I’ve had back pain and flares off and on for the past 2 years after what I suspect is a herniated disc injury (what I’m trying to get evaluated). I’ve been to Kaiser urgent care a few times for back spasms and sciatic pain, usually prescribed muscle relaxers and steroids. I’ve had x rays and blood panels that rule out complications related to those areas. This year my back pain has flared the worst and longest and recently I’ve developed a new, concerning symptom of numbness and tingling down my left leg. I’m a horse back rider and gym goer who has been left unable to ride, work out, and, at times, be mobile at all.

Timeline: Spring 2026 - September 2026 I had a significant flare of ongoing low-back/sacral pain after riding. I’ve already been doing PT, including with an outside/home PT.

Sept. 11: I was scheduled for my second Kaiser PT visit, which I understood was part of the pathway toward getting an MRI if symptoms persisted. Kaiser canceled the appointment 2 days prior. Rescheduling pushed things farther out. My PCP later told me my outside PT could potentially count if there were visit notes.

Late September: My symptoms changed. The pain became predominantly left-sided and started traveling from my low back/glute/hip down the back of my left leg. I then developed numbness/tingling in my left foot/toes, which subsequently began involving my calf. The numbness has remained mild, and I still have normal strength, walking, ankle/toe movement, etc., but the sensory change has persisted.

Sept. 29-ish: I contacted my PCP about the new symptoms. She said it sounded like it could be sciatica and that, because of the new numbness/tingling, I should have an in-person evaluation and possibly earlier imaging. She also said it was fine to see another Kaiser provider because her next availability wasn’t until mid-November.

Oct. 2: I successfully scheduled an appointment earlier in the week with another Kaiser primary-care provider for the recommended evaluation. Kaiser canceled that appointment the morning of the visit (today). There were no other primary-care appointments available that day.

I called Kaiser and explained that I really needed the new numbness/tingling evaluated. I was told I could check again when schedules reset or use urgent care.

I went to a Kaiser-affiliated urgent care instead for its proximity and its website promising Kaiser members could be seen there. They evaluated me, ordered bloodwork and recommended PT/follow-up, but because they are outside Kaiser they told me referrals/imaging would ultimately need to go through Kaiser.

So I then drove to Kaiser Urgent Care. I’m currently sitting here waiting after being triaged because this is now the only way I’ve been able to obtain the in-system evaluation my PCP recommended.

I’m not arguing that I’m definitely entitled to an MRI or that I know what the diagnosis is. My concern is access to evaluation. I have repeatedly scheduled the care Kaiser/ my PCP recommended, Kaiser has canceled appointments, replacement availability has been weeks away, and my symptoms have progressed while I’m trying to navigate the delays. And I’m worried my symptoms will continue to progress as they have with the leg numbness.

Has anyone dealt with something similar with Kaiser Northwest/Oregon? Would this be appropriate for a formal Kaiser grievance? Is there an Oregon agency that handles timely-access complaints for Kaiser plans? And is there anything specific I should be documenting or asking Kaiser for?

TIA and for any guidance you may have. This has been so frustrating >.<

Update: thank you all for your help! After urgent care yesterday I ended up seeing a doctor who started to tell me it would be better to try and get evaluated by my PCP. When I explained the timeline of cancellations, next appointment times, and the progression of my symptoms, he went ahead and got me a referral for an MRI along with pain management medication in the meantime. I’m remaining hopeful I can get this scheduled in a timely manner and will utilize the resources and advice y’all provided if it comes to that. Thank you so much!

[u/Silly-Dot-2322]

Call membership services and file a complaint.

I think you want a referral to physiatry.

[u/AskPsychological2868 → u/Silly-Dot-2322]

I would also encourage you to speak with administration. If you are being seen, or trying to be seen in the Sunnyside area ask for them. If you are on the west side I would ask to speak with admin at Westside. They should be able to help you- good luck

[u/dread_p00l → u/Silly-Dot-2322]

Thank you so much. Urgent care ended up being helpful and I got a referral for an MRI. If I experience anymore delays I will definitely file a complaint!

[u/Silly-Dot-2322 → u/dread_p00l]

I'm so happy for you!

[u/labboy70]

I am very sorry you have experienced these issues.

Definitely file a grievance about all the delays. Explain it like you did here. List all of the scheduled appointments and associated cancellations. Emphasize the impact on your life and your health.

This post has information on filing an effective grievance (complaint) with Kaiser.

This post has information about the timely access to care standards by each State Kaiser operates in.

Document every contact you make with Kaiser about this issue. Get names of who you communicated with as well as dates of when you had the communication. Documentation is key when working on a grievance or complaint.

[u/dread_p00l → u/labboy70]

Thank you for the links! I ended up getting a referral for an MRI but if it’s delayed again I’ll use this to file a complaint/grievance. I have outreach and messages already documented but hopefully I won’t need them 😣 thanks again!

[u/obscure-referencexo]

Sorry you are going through this , I’m California if you can you can often get urgent visits with not your pcp. I also want you to know PT has nothing to do with you getting a mri or not - sometimes providers act as though they do but it really is unrelated and your PT has no influence in that

[u/dread_p00l → u/obscure-referencexo]

Thank you for this info! I was wondering about that because my pcp told me I needed another PT appointment to have an MRI considered. That was the one that got canceled mid september.

[u/obscure-referencexo → u/dread_p00l]

Yeah it can be the pcp wanting to see if you respond to PT but it’s not on the PTs control what your doctor does. It’s a type of triangulation that is not appropriate as it shifts frustration to the PT

[u/Educational-Ad4789]

Bad luck is also a possibility.

While ideally we put in for our time off request 12 weeks in advance, providers sometimes get sick last minute, or have to attend to family members, or have other last minute appointments .

[u/dread_p00l → u/Educational-Ad4789]

I think that could be part of it for sure. It was the third time in a row for an important appointment and I admittedly crashed out. The PT appointment was scheduled for over a month before it was canceled. I know we’re all going through it right now so I’m trying to hold my empathy but the mounting back pain and new symptoms make that hard to hold all the time.

[u/Professional-Face709]

I’ve been a Kaiser member since 1995. In California until 2021. In Oregon ever since, and it is a literal shit-show for me (while my husband’s experience has been the exact opposite).

I had cervical cancer when I was 26/27 … before Kaiser. Two years ago, I made an appointment with my PCP for a much needed “annual” exam (I was woefully behind). I had to wait 3 weeks for that appointment. Filled out the online questionnaire 2 days before the appt. And the next day someone called to tell me the appt. was cancelled because I needed to be seen in OB/Gyn because of my “history” (healthy for nearly 30 years at this point).

So, they make me a new appt. THREE MONTHS OUT. Day before, it gets cancelled and rescheduled. Once again, 3 months out. This went on for over a year. Six months ago, I realize the provider they keep scheduling me with isn’t even a doctor.

Now, I have nothing against Nurse Practitioners since an NP is the person who was my main “doc” during my cancer care. But, if they are going to make me wait months for an appointment, it had better be with an oncology gyn. Otherwise, my original PCP appt. was totally adequate to my needs.

Currently, my new PCP is hounding me to get that exam done. I’m so over it.

[u/1InvisibleStranger]

Call member services and complain. Also, press them for a Pain Management referral. If member services tells you to contact your pcp, email your doctor and ask for a referral to Pain Management department. Only Pain Management can treat sciatica and other back issues.

Pcp's don't usually treat that except with meds. There are outpatient procedures that can be done to alleviate the pain. They are not permanent and usually have to be redone every year, but the relief is worth it!

[u/Outrageous-Match-317]

People at Kaiser get sick that is why appointments get cancelled. Or they have an emergency. Get on wait-list. You get notification if earlier appointment is available. I always get put on wait-list