44th President of the USA

[Pellaz]

Yet another victim of Health Insurance Fraud. Why these companies aren't chagred with murder is beyond me.

Not too impressed with the sourcing of the article ("GoLeft"? hmmm) ...and I must observe that the same sort of decision could have been made by any medical review board (hospital, etc.), not just an HMO.
And if the decision was wrong, the courts will hold them responsible, since the victim's family is suing. Great news for CIGNA plan members whose premiums would rise, I'm sure.

Now, imagine if that pay/not pay decision was being made by a government bureacracy.

 

[nailz]

I guess that would be pretty terrible. Hadn't thought of that actually. Hmm.. anyway, the same story was on CNN too.

 

[Pellaz]

As I expected, there's more to that story than your site mentioned. It's always good to seek far and wide for news coverage. From AP:

http://www6.comcast.net/news/articles/health/2007/12/21/Teen.Liver.Transplant/

Salient points:

1. the victim was taken off life support...on her family's orders. It is technically just as accurate to say that they killed her, rather than CIGNA, since CIGNA reversed their decision BEFORE her family cut her life-support. (All news reports agree that they did so hours before she died, but she died "within an hour" after being taken off.)

2. CIGNA maintained that the procedure was experimental, which is why they initially declined to cover it, and then caved under pressure and protests. It would be more accurate to say that the procedure would have been futile, since as a leukemia victim, the anti-rejection medication would have excerbated her cancer. "A six-month survival rate of about sixty-five percent."


And now you know........the rest of the story.

 

[nailz]

You win this round, health insurance.. this round.

 

[Pellaz]

"Ahhh, but since a volcano hasn't happened in Rhode Island for a long time....aren't we overdue for one?"

"Touché, Mr. Volcano Insurance Salesman. Touché."