Kaiser used an algorithm — not clinicians — to triage mental health patients, union alleges

August 3, 2026 - 00:37

A union representing mental health workers is accusing Kaiser Permanente of using an automated system to sort and prioritize patient requests for care, without any real-time review by licensed clinicians. According to the union, there is no evidence that therapists or psychiatrists actually read the answers patients submit through online e-visit forms before those patients are assigned a level of urgency or a wait time.

The allegation, made public this week, centers on how Kaiser handles the growing volume of mental health appointments. Union members say the system appears to rely on a computer algorithm that scores patient responses based on keywords and patterns, then decides who gets seen first. The union argues that this approach can miss subtle signs of crisis, especially in cases where a patient might not use the exact language the algorithm expects.

Kaiser has not confirmed or denied the specific claims, but the union says it has filed formal complaints and requested internal documents showing how the triage process actually works. So far, they say, no documentation has been produced to prove that a human clinician reviews every e-visit response before a care plan is set.

The dispute comes at a time when mental health services are under intense pressure nationwide. Wait times for therapy and psychiatric care have stretched for weeks or even months in many regions. The union warns that relying on automation to manage that demand, without proper clinical oversight, could put vulnerable patients at risk. They are calling for an immediate halt to the algorithm-based triage and for full transparency about how patient data is used in these decisions.