They didn't cover my grandmother's mammogram
They didn't cover her chemo
They didn't cover the pain and anxiety meds for her palliative care
She died of cancer over the course of two years. Insurance made sure that she couldn't detect it early, treat it, or manage her pain and terror. As far as I'm concerned, they caused her death directly and made it as horrible as possible.
How does that happen? AFAIK the ACA mandates coverage for cancer treatment for almost all plans.
https://www.propublica.org/article/cigna-pxdx-medical-health...
https://www.propublica.org/article/evicore-health-insurance-...
This is one example of how hard it can be to fight these fraudulent denials, even for someone with above average resources:
https://www.propublica.org/article/priority-health-michigan-...
Individuals can’t fix these problems at scale: it needs something like a government investigator with subpoena power and the ability to directly fine executives. As long as people make more money by denying care, they’re just going to keep finding ways to do so.
Certain expensive chemo drugs will get denied unless cheaper options are tried first, if they're used off-label or experimental. Some won't be approved until surgery, at too early a stage or if tests don't indicate elevated risk factors.
This is such a great line! On the bright side, perhaps these big companies will now start lobbying for more reasonable gun laws.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/268094/millions-lost-someone-co...
Whether or not you think that’s fair, that’s a huge number of people with the basis for a serious grudge. Since we’ve made it easier to get guns than healthcare, I’d expect copycats - especially after people see how much it struck a nerve.