Headline of the Week Weak
Filed under: Headline of the Week
"Patient's Insurance Canceled Hours Before Life-Saving Brain Operation"
How horrible! CLICK HERE to read the article accompanying this headline.
Patient's Insurance Canceled Hours Before Life-Saving Brain Operation
A 19-year-old Tampa Bay, Fla., woman is suffering from a debilitating brain disorder that may kill her after an insurance company canceled the family's medical coverage just before she was due to receive life-saving brain surgery, Tampa Bay’s 10 News reported.
Caitlin Jackson recently was diagnosed with the disorder Chiari malformation, which causes her excruciating headaches and fainting spells. The condition eventually destroys motor skills and memory.
"I constantly have to have somebody around me," Jackson told Tampa Bay’s 10 News. "I can't even stay at home for five minutes."
She was hours from getting the necessary surgery for her condition when her insurance company, Aetna, waited too long to approve the operation, giving the green light 15 minutes too late. By the time it sent approval, Jackson had lost the operating room to another patient and her surgery had to be rescheduled.
But Aetna then told Jackson it would not cover the surgery at all, saying her benefits had run out and leaving her to cover the $113,000 surgery.
Jackson told Tampa Bay’s 10 News that while her family is in talks with lawyers about appealing the insurance company's decision and while Aetna reviews her case, she has put her life on hold.
"I just have told myself. I have to get through this. I have to pray my way through it," Jackson told Tampa Bay’s 10 News.
woah
First?
Fucking sick
thats awful
oo
First?
This has to stop.
This makes me sick.
What's it going to take.
I don't know how these people sleep at night….I guess they have health insurance.
Hmmm inneresting
FIRST
Why the weird f*cked up picture??
LEONA LEWIS ROCKS!
Thats Awwful!!!
First!!
THIS IS WHY I LIVE IN CANADA!!!!!
thats fkn insane ..
first
horrible
this is why the usa needs to have a national health service like the uk, thats what hillary clinton was suggesting, oh well!
that's so sad =[
That is disgusting!!!
And this is America The Land Of Opportunity! What a crock of shit that they canceled the insurance.
I read about a woman who was diagnosed with cancer when she was between jobs and uninsured, and her new employer's health plan wouldn't cover her because of the "pre-existing condition" of cancer and she was left to pay for the whole treatment herself. She had too much money to be eligable for any financial aid. Is that what's called "Criminal insanity"?
oh how sad! i hope she gets the operation. only 19 years old!
kudos to you, perez, for reporting on this story. that situation is so wrong.
Aetna sucks!
If you don't think theres something wrong with healthcare in the United States you are a f-ing idiot.
One reason why the u.s SUCKS DICK. doctors and shit are nothing but theives.
The american health insurance companies are a load of money eating shit
I love living in Canada! someone should do something about this girls situation, she can't live like that…
I'm curious , do Americans want socialized medicine or not?
And if not , why not?
This is extremely sad. God Bless her, I pray that she will be able to win the appeal and that in the mean time her brain disorder will subside.
Now if she were an illegal alien or someone on welfare, you can damn sure she would be getting that operation.
Our country is one of the only developed countries in the world that doesn't even provide universal healthcare for its citizens. What a shame. WE LET COMPANIES KILL US!!! The system has FAILED.
I think this is an awful attack by an insurance company, just so they don't have to pay and if thats the case the should get back every dollar they ever gave to that insurance company form there monthly payment.
I hope they sue the HELL OUT of that company and hopefully it gets shut down.
I live in tampa and I have been hearing about this, finally it's getting national attention!!!
THANKS PEREZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FIRST!!!
God Bless the National Health Service.
that is disguisting.. i hope she gets the surgery.
I think they SHOULD sue the insurance company. Those fuckers care only about the money, it's awful. They think they can do ANYTHING, don't give a damn about peoples lives!
I also have an experience when the insurance company did not pay a water damage to the store which was insured for that. The small bakery then went bankrupt. They just don't give a fuck. There should be an institution controlling the insurance companies, making sure that things they do are fair.
You're rich, Perez, why don't you pay for it!
I'm glad I'm living in France where it's FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
thank god im from the UK
yeah the NHS has its problems, but if you can't afford private healthcare atleast you have something to rely on
beggers can't be choosers
thats America for ya. But the terrorist get the best medical they could ask for but Americans…… jack shit!!!
What is WRONG with out country?
That makes me sick.
Perez:
You liberal dumb ass….This story was on Fox and Friends Thursday Morning. Fox and Friends contacted the Governor of FL and AEtna….insurance is NOW paying for the surgery on Monday…..Quite posting news items on an entertainment sites….liberal freak!
How fucked up is that? I am a tru believer in karma and what goes around comes around. That shit will come back to bite them in the ass. FUCK AMERICAN HEALTHCARE!!!
That would never happen here in Canada…..We may have to wait a little longer in the ER, but we get taken care no matter how much money we have……YET ANOTHER REASON THE U.S. STINKS!!!
I know someone with this condition, it's horrible that an insurance company is allowed to do this bullshit to people! Unfortunately it happens everyday!
only in the pits of hell aka AMERICA would this happen. our healthcare system sucks titties
AETNA, you are a bunch of fucking dicks. I hope the dick who made this decision (getting a bonus in the process) is reading this. You have no soul, prick. Whenever I see the name AETNA, I will think "oh yeah, that's that bunch of fucking dicks."
The Fox News Channel already got this fixed. Aetna approved the surgery. Get the whole story before you go off half-cocked, Perez. Or did your hatred for FNC make you leave off that part of the story to further your Democratic agenda?
that is f-ed up…not cool at all I hope that she does get the surgery and that Aetna gets sued it's ass off.
Insurance company's are full of shit!!! They wait as long as they possibly can to see if the patient will die so they wont have to pay for the surgery and once the patient is at the brink of death there is still a 50/50 chance they will approve… it's fucking ridiculous!!!!!!!!
Health insurance in the US is a blessing and a curse. God forbid you REALLY need it for some reason and they just decide to snatch it up from you.
People should not have to compete for medical care based on whether or nor their insurance companies are willing to fork out money on their behalf. Why should medical procedures go to the "highest bidder"? Medical care should be publicly financed by the government via taxes based on income (individuals) and revenues (business and corporations).
I'm glad we have public health care in Canada.
GHETTO
How heart wrenching. Our Canadian system has its flaws but we certainly never worry about being taken care of, let alone simple respect for ones life. I would urge all Americans to start writing letters and making phone calls to their local representatives to stop this abuse. All for the dollar!
An insurance company with profit goals can decide whether or not someone gets a treatment they need to live? Thank god I live in a country where doctors decide that! Do you even need a college degree to work for an insurance company?
Wait , you mean to tell me the health system in the states lacks something sooo basic as a public ombudsman / public agency / culpability mechanisms that health insurance companies are answerable and liable to - in case like these?!
fuck aetna. i had health "coverage" through my work with them. they denied every one of my monthly visits because my health care provider, the cheapest in the city i live in, wasn't a preferred provider. i didn't find out until months into it. i paid over 2k into it over the months, and i am now stuck with an additional 2k in visits i must cover. i literally ruined my back trying to maintain some fucking insurance and couldn't even get them to cover the care i required. fuck 'em.
ahhh… good ol' U S of A!
how can we send money her way?
i want to donate money to this poor girl.
Re: final – fuck you
I live in Australia… Welcome universal healthcare.
Re: duede – THANK YOU!!!
im soo sick of liberals bitching about health care.
i just want to send this girl money since it seems thats conservatives do.
liberals want money and take take take. conservatives give back to their communities and help fund all these liberal programs.
HA.
btw… america… when will you learn… your people need better healthcare.
Re: uh – wow , even the NHS has that and it's universal.
I would think publicly appointed comities / third party governmental culpability mechanisms are essential , especially considering the sheer amount of documented evidence that proves these companies are inclined to behave like villainous parasites
Re: robin –
um, how the fuck do you figure? people on welfare don't have ANY insurance…what are ridiculous generalization born out of mean-spiritedness…
These insurance companies should be ashamed of themselves. They have no decency.
Wait.. um.. what happens in America if you get cancer and you have no insurance.. are you just left to die like in a thrid world country or something? Holy fuck! That's shocking.
This would never happen in Canada!
Re: Laure – Don't worry. Perez asks for money every single day. I am sure he will ask for money for this too.
Guns are a right but health care is a luxury? hahaha, you wonder why everyone laughs at the US…the only first world nation without a health care system.
As a physician, I think the biggest problems is the health insurance companies…they nickel and dime every damn thing and don't reimburse for anything. Probably this poor woman needed the surgery (I am guessing) but it was on an elective, rather than emergency, basis–so that's why the company felt quite entitled to pull coverage. If it was an emergency, more likely than not there would not have been a problem getting it covered. I'm an intensive care unit doc and have yet to see something denied in the ICU if it is deemed medically necessary, especially if it is standard of care. However, that being said, doctors normally like their patients to avoid medical emergencies–and emergency surgery–and get things done on a timely basis and not risk the patient's health.
Insurance is the biggest crock ever–patients get screwed (health insurance), doctors get screwed (malpractice is expensive)–and who walks away with all the money? Medicine was never meant to be a business–money/profit and the mission of healing people do not go together–we can only hope someday our government does right by us and institutes universal health care for all. I already pay an insane amount in taxes–it might as well have a palpable benefit.
Re: q&a – yeah , pretty much . Too many bought politicians on the pay roll of those companies that don't care about people , only their back balance. that poor girl :'(
We really need to all send money to her asap and help her out.
For so long people have been focusing on attacking the trial lawyers when the real evil in this country is the insurance industry. Stop giving away your rights, people!!
the american healthcare system is completely disgusting. i don't have a life threatening illness but i was left with thousand of dollars of medical bills and denied disability then had a canceled insurance policy because i could no longer work.
so wrong. this HAS to change.
Re: q&a – yeah , pretty much . Too many bought politicians on the pay roll of those companies that don't care about people , only their *bank balances. That poor girl :'(
We really need to all send money to her asap and help her out.
So sad. Looks like insurance companies have the power now to try and take over the world. What an effed up situation…
:(
Re: q&a – : If you get cancer but have no insurance, if you are lucky, you get sent to a "safety net" hospital which provides your treatment, and theoretically sends you a bill–at least mine (County-USC in Los Angeles) did–but you are basically never expected to pay it. And some people qualify for Medicaid (in California, Medi-Cal), which is a program in which the government covers part or all of the costs for the poor. The people who really get screwed in this process are the working poor, who generally hold low-paying jobs, not enough to afford decent insurance (and almost invariably their jobs do not offer benefits such as health insurance) but too much to qualify for the medicaid. It's a sad situation.
To those heckling Perez reagarding him posting this story: It's simply to draw attention to the fact that something like this can happen. It's unconscionable, and no amount of scrurrying backwards, reinstating the insurance and offerring to pay will make it completely right. Done.
Health Care Reform!!!!
Well, did she pay her bills? The report says nothing about that.
I know how she feels. I just completed my one year anniversary. It is very painful. How can they do that to her? How would they feel if it was their child? America has gone mental
THIS IS EXACTLY WHY WE NEED TO ELECT OBAMA THIS NOVEMBER. INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE GETTING RICH OFF OF YOU NOT GETTING SICK AND WHEN YOU DO GET SICK THEY TELL YOU TO FUCK OFF. WELL WE'RE TELLING THEM TO FUCK OFF - HEALTH CARE FOR EVERY AMERICAN! WE ARE AMERICANS AND WE ARE BETTER THAN THIS FUCKING RETARDATION!
GOD
The world is shit today. you can't do a mother fucking operation cause of some fucking insurance? Do the damn operation because its a good thing to save one of God's children, you gonna cancel cause of this shit?
this is 1 of the reasons AMERICA SUCKS BALLS..AND WHY YOU ARE NOT CONSIDERED AS ONE OF THE BEST COUNTRIES 2 LIVE IN
Thank you for posting this story Perez. We all need to be aware of the state of the healthcare industry. I would like to say Aetna alone is notorious for making these sorts of decisions (and they are) but most U.S. insurance companies are no better. As a new physician I'm just starting the discover how terrible is actually is.
U.S. healthcare licks my vanilla salty balls….
That's sad. I have Aetna insurance too.
if it was here in the uk she would have got her op no problem, thankfully we pay our NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE in our tax!! freefor everyone!!!
comelive here lady and get it for free*
*provided u pay ur taxes of course!
RE: butte…
In canada you dont have to PAY Bills in order to receive life saving surgery………
Not in Alberta anyway…
My dad had two hip replacements…surgery to remove throat cancer, and spent the last week of his life being kept comfortable on hospital meds.
He paid… let me see… we put the last $70 in his wallet into a donation box for the childrens hospital wing….
does that even count as payment????
health care like this should be FREE.
How nice to see this site using its considerable influence in a serious matter that concerns all working families.
Yes!
I hope they post somewhere to donate money and/or Aetna reinstates their coverage.
i hope they sue the shit out of aetna.
How awful!! We need free national coverage. It's ridiculous how many similar stories I've heard. I'm glad the insurance company is now paying for the surgery.
America needs to change it's views on socialized medicine. It's citizens deserve to know they will not be abandoned if they become ill. America basically is stuck in a 20th century mindset and does not readily accept change. Universal healthcare is seen as evil. The big 3 US auto makers are on the verge of bankruptcy because they refused to adapt to the 21st century. America refuses to convert to the metric system even though it is used by every civilized country. Congress defends the right for citizend to bear arms, taking the wording of the Constitution literally instead of in the context of how it was written. America has become pathetic and the rest of the world is laughing. Stash the ego America. You've become a joke.
thats sad……america sucks. in canada we dont have to pay the medical cuz we do it on our taxes……
That really goes to show how messed up Americas insurance companies are. Not just medical insurance, just over all. What's the point in paying thousands a year for this stuff if they deny us what we've been paying for? I think her insuance company did all of this on purpose. Sure makes them look bad.
This would never happen in Canada. The US medical system is fucked up! Seriously. Something has to change in the U.S. Bring on universal health care and stop throwing people on the streets because they cannot pay. U.S. citizens need to take a stand and make a change. The government has you running scared. Stand up people and demand a change. It's the only way it can happen!
Fucking scums!!! They shoulpd not get away with that! I hope the family sues the hell out of that bullshit insurance company!
Re: Bad M – ITS QUIT NOT QUITE YOU RIGHT WING IDIOT U CANT EVEN SPELL AND YOUR TALKING SHIZ. ITS ONLY A 4 LETTER WORD? IF U PUT UP YOUR OPINION AND WANT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY SPELL RIGHT RETARDO!
The insurance companies need to go down!