A Real Death Panel.....

[Nonno]

"CIGNA's denial of a liver transplant for Nataline Sarkisyan should never happen to another American. It's time for Congress to act and pass President Obama's plan for real health insurance reform."



Source: Welcome | Americans United

[aps45819 (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Nonno

"CIGNA's denial of a liver transplant for Nataline Sarkisyan should never happen to another American. It's time for Congress to act and pass President Obama's plan for real health insurance reform."

Sorry, Obama's all about controlling who gets paid and who gets health care.
The only reform will be who denies your treatment

[Rommey]

Originally Posted by Nonno

"CIGNA's denial of a liver transplant for Nataline Sarkisyan should never happen to another American.

I'm sure nothing like this would ever happen under a government run health care system.

I have a feeling there is probably more to this than a short propaganda-style video showed.

From Wiki:

Sarkisyan was covered under the insurance company of her parents (either her father, an automotive technician for Mercedez-Benz of Calabasas, California, or her mother who may work for Prudential Real Estate). Physicians informed the family and insurance company, Cigna HealthCare, that patients in a similar situation have a 65% 6 month survival rate after a liver transplant Dr. John Roberts, chief of the transplant service at UC San Francisco (not the transplant center treating Sarkisyan), stated that his center generally does not accept a patient without a 50% or greater five year survival rate. The chief of the Baylor Regional Transplant Institute in Dallas, Dr. Goran Klintmalm, said this particular operation was a "very high-risk transplant." Dr. Klintmalm did state that he would consider the same operation on a similar patient.
Cigna HealthCare refused to pay for treatment, citing policy provisions which do not cover services considered experimental, investigational and/or unproven to be safe and/or effective for the patient.
CIGNA notes that it had no financial stake in the decision to authorize the transplant because it merely administers the insurance plan of the parent's employer and would not bear the cost of any operation. However, Cigna was offering to pay for the transplant itself when it made the exception to the policy. The cost of a liver transplant and 1 year of follow-up care was $450,000 in 2005. UCLA declined two livers while waiting for insurance approval from Cigna. Ms. Sarkisyan's family was also informed that they could proceed with the transplant if they could make a down-payment of $75,000.

link

[FredFlash]

Originally Posted by Nonno

"CIGNA's denial of a liver transplant for Nataline Sarkisyan should never happen to another American. It's time for Congress to act and pass President Obama's plan for real health insurance reform."



Source: Welcome | Americans United

If I had to choose, I wouldn't want decisions about my health care made by a party that would make more money by denying me care.

[This_person]

Originally Posted by FredFlash

If I had to choose, I wouldn't want decisions about my health care made by a party that would make more money by denying me care.

Isn't that exactly what Obama is talking about, cutting costs to the rest of us based on the value of the medical coverage vs. the returns?

[This_person]

Originally Posted by This_person

Isn't that exactly what Obama is talking about, cutting costs to the rest of us based on the value of the medical coverage vs. the returns?

Fred, asked you a question here....

[This_person]

Originally Posted by This_person

Isn't that exactly what Obama is talking about, cutting costs to the rest of us based on the value of the medical coverage vs. the returns?

Fre-ed?

[Tilted]

Originally Posted by FredFlash

If I had to choose, I wouldn't want decisions about my health care made by a party that would make more money by denying me care.

Then I guess it's a good thing that you don't have to give such a party the discretion to make such decisions with regard to your health care.

Originally Posted by Nonno

A Real Death Panel.....

"CIGNA's denial of a liver transplant for Nataline Sarkisyan should never happen to another American. It's time for Congress to act and pass President Obama's plan for real health insurance reform."

Source: Welcome | Americans United

To the extent that any insurer has the right to act as a 'death panel', it is only because someone has given them the right to act as a 'death panel', and to do so in accordance with a contractual agreement, with said right having been given to them in return for some (implicitly and/or explicitly) agreed upon consideration. To the extent that such right is not exercised in accordance with that contractual agreement (and any other legal requirements that may exist with regard to such agreements), then potentially the insurer can be held liable for injuries which result - just as other people/entities in are society can potentially be held liable for a myriad of things that they might do which cause injuries to others.