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[forestal]

Don't get CIGNA if you want to live.

Print Story: Teen dies after transplant funds nixed on Yahoo! News

Teen dies after transplant funds nixed

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A 17-year old died just hours after her health insurance company reversed its decision not to pay for a liver transplant that doctors said the girl needed.
Nataline Sarkisyan died Thursday night at about 6 p.m. at University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center. She had been in a vegetative state for weeks, said her mother, Hilda.
"She passed away, and the insurance (company) is responsible for this," she said.

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

Originally Posted by forestal

Don't get CIGNA if you want to live.

Print Story: Teen dies after transplant funds nixed on Yahoo! News

Teen dies after transplant funds nixed

<!-- END HEADLINE --> <!-- BEGIN STORY BODY --> Fri Dec 21, 7:23 AM ET

A 17-year old died just hours after her health insurance company reversed its decision not to pay for a liver transplant that doctors said the girl needed.
Nataline Sarkisyan died Thursday night at about 6 p.m. at University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center. She had been in a vegetative state for weeks, said her mother, Hilda.
"She passed away, and the insurance (company) is responsible for this," she said.

This happens with every insurance company, unfortanently. None of them care about the consumer.

[baileydog]

I heard this on the news this morning. I know they say the ins. company is to blame but I ask, how can a hospital just allow you to lay there and die knowing they can save you, just because of money. Its just not right. What happened to saving lives. I guess the hypacratic oath forgot to mention the all mighty buck. By the way, I think the whole thing SUCKS. Done ranting.

[godsbutterfly]

If I am reading this right the bone marrow transplant caused complications that made her liver fail. Other than that I guess it was successful and if that was the case the liver transplant had every chance to save her life. Yes, it is sickening that the hospital checked to see if the insurance company would pay for the transplant before they would do any surgery. This girl was dying and they were basically waiting to be sure they had cash in hand? Not very compassionate.

[MMDad (Premo)]

There's an awful lot to this story that Forest is ignoring.

1. The girl had been in a vegetative state for weeks. A new liver was not going to change that. Even if she had gotten a new liver, would she have lived? Or would it have just prolonged the life of a vegetable? Her not getting the liver means that someone else could get one. Hopefully that someone is going to benefit from this.

2. Insurance companies routinely deny claims because the health care provider does not adequately document the case. That sounds like what happened here. Since the insurance company eventually authorized the transplant, it sounds like more documentation was submitted.

3. The hospital was negligent because they did not perform the procedure to save her life. If they truly believed that the procedure was justified, they should have performed it. The fact that they didn't leads me to believe that they did not feel it was worth the risk unless somebody else was paying the bills.

4. The big thing Forest ignores: If we get universal health care like he wants, claims like this will not be denied because people will die before the claim ever gets processed. Universal health care will be bogged down in bureaucracy and senseless rules. Decisions on life and death matters will be decided by brainless paper pushers with all the efficiency of the MVA. Under universal health care, this girl would still be waiting for the bone marrow transplant.

[Toxick]

Originally Posted by MMDad

There's an awful lot to this story that Forest is ignoring.

1. The girl had been in a vegetative state for weeks. A new liver was not going to change that. Even if she had gotten a new liver, would she have lived? Or would it have just prolonged the life of a vegetable? Her not getting the liver means that someone else could get one. Hopefully that someone is going to benefit from this.

2. Insurance companies routinely deny claims because the health care provider does not adequately document the case. That sounds like what happened here. Since the insurance company eventually authorized the transplant, it sounds like more documentation was submitted.

3. The hospital was negligent because they did not perform the procedure to save her life. If they truly believed that the procedure was justified, they should have performed it. The fact that they didn't leads me to believe that they did not feel it was worth the risk unless somebody else was paying the bills.

4. The big thing Forest ignores: If we get universal health care like he wants, claims like this will not be denied because people will die before the claim ever gets processed. Universal health care will be bogged down in bureaucracy and senseless rules. Decisions on life and death matters will be decided by brainless paper pushers with all the efficiency of the MVA. Under universal health care, this girl would still be waiting for the bone marrow transplant.

None of this negates the fact that everyone involved in the Insurance industry should be fed, feet first, into a woodchipper and their remains shot into various piles of animal feces and scattered across farmland as fertilizer.

[MMDad (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Toxick

None of this negates the fact that everyone involved in the Insurance industry should be fed, feet first, into a woodchipper and their remains shot into various piles of animal feces and scattered across farmland as fertilizer.

Agreed. I've had some unpleasant dealings with my insurance company this year, and it really does suck. I was hospitalized for a week last February, and the last thing I needed at the time was the added stress of calling the insurance company to convince them I really was sick.

[godsbutterfly]

Originally Posted by MMDad

Agreed. I've had some unpleasant dealings with my insurance company this year, and it really does suck. I was hospitalized for a week last February, and the last thing I needed at the time was the added stress of calling the insurance company to convince them I really was sick.

I had just delivered my son that morning and that afternoon the billing department called my room saying I had no insurance. I was all emotional telling them I certainly did and it had been coming out of my paycheck every 2 weeks etc. They finally got it straight but I was wondering were they about to put me out the door when I had just had the baby 10 hours earlier?

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

Originally Posted by MMDad

Agreed. I've had some unpleasant dealings with my insurance company this year, and it really does suck. I was hospitalized for a week last February, and the last thing I needed at the time was the added stress of calling the insurance company to convince them I really was sick.

Insurance company gave us a hard time after my mom had a heart attack.

I hold no bitter feelings though, she's alive (and kicking, believe me ) and that's all that matters.

[awpitt]

Originally Posted by MMDad

There's an awful lot to this story that Forest is ignoring.

1. The girl had been in a vegetative state for weeks. A new liver was not going to change that. Even if she had gotten a new liver, would she have lived? Or would it have just prolonged the life of a vegetable? Her not getting the liver means that someone else could get one. Hopefully that someone is going to benefit from this.

Very true. I was getting mad at the ins. co. until I read that part.

Originally Posted by MMDad

4. The big thing Forest ignores: If we get universal health care like he wants, claims like this will not be denied because people will die before the claim ever gets processed. Universal health care will be bogged down in bureaucracy and senseless rules. Decisions on life and death matters will be decided by brainless paper pushers with all the efficiency of the MVA. Under universal health care, this girl would still be waiting for the bone marrow transplant.

In the case of govt run healthcare, I agree with you; however, everyone always assumes that universal healthcare must be run by the govt. There are other ways to achieve that goal.