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.
OK, so who actually had the dirtiest hands in this? The insurance company who took their time approving the surgery, or the hospital who wouldn't do the surgery without the paperwork being completed?? Maybe the hospital should have gone ahead with the surgery and worked out the details AFTER they saved the patients life…
It's things like this I read and see on t.v. that lead me to conclude that America is just a really elaborately window dressed third world country with a third world corrupt indifferent government to match.
America does not give the developed world a good name.
Just one more reason i am grateful to live in Canada… and that insurance co. will not lose any business from this… it's all so sick and my heart goes out to Caitlin…
I know universal healthcare sounds great, but Canada and the UK (and other European countries) all have issues with their healthcare systems. I think the blame falls on our government administrations for letting these big health insurance companies get away with things like this. We would never accept this sort of behavior of our car insurance companies so why our health insurance. The problem is our government has it's hands deep inside the health insurance companies' pockets. Things will never change till we hold our government officials responsible for decisions they make regarding healthcare…until then, we will unfortunately hear more stories as this one!
Re: CR – They do , but the very minor problems our system has in comparison to the farcical thing you call “a health care system” (Ireland) have more to do with inefficiency and incompetence of a health authority than lack of resources
I like Americans , not so much your government *but* I cannot understand why the people of your country don't do anything -. Bill Gates spends millions on third world charities and so does oprah , which i don't understand in light of the above as charity begins at home. I mean *absolutely * no one seems to really care enough to ask for change and I cannot fathom why if what's detailed above is even slightly representative..
Re: hiuhu –
There are errors & major flaws in our system but don't you dare say the U.S. sucks d!ck. Is that why sooo many ppl. try to come over here EVERY SINGLE DAY? Go screw yourself or maybe we will just blow you up asshole. F%ckin' die you P.O.S.
Re: oh – No one has ever been what is effectively passive aggressively "murdered" in Ireland waiting for a life saving treatment to be “green lighted” by an insurance company so stock holders could make more money? No, Seriously?
At worst maybe people have had to wait a measly few weeks for a non essential trivial procedure to be preformed.. You say?
Uh.. no one cares.. just arrogant trolls quick to espouse the sycophantic patriotic drivel…
Re: Bad M – You are a fucking prick. Who cares if the situation is fixed? It is the prinicple that this poor girl had to even go through all of this when she already is going through enough. There is clearly something flawed with our healthcare system you cunt!! You sound like one of those conservative, hillbilly piece of shit assholes who has this whole country fucked up for their benefit. I hope you all die and then rot in hell you douche!!!
*their American Republican party line* sycophantic patriotic drivel…
Re: lovez – *Correction* their American Republican party line* sycophantic patriotic drivel…
This make me sick!!
Aetna "Shame On You!!"
Re: May – that's not true, we have not been brainwashed and most of us desperatley want universal health care. but it's not that easy. it would cost the country a hell of a lot of money, and quite frankly we have negative amounts of it right now because of our dumb-ass president, and it's not the main concern of the dipshits that run the country. so not to be bitter or anything, but don't talk about us being brainwashed, because you're not the one living here and dealing with the horrible effects of shitty healthcare. we didn't ask to be born here you know, or to have this kind of healthcare.
This is truly awful. I feel so grateful that I live in Canada, where it wouldn't even be an issue. You need a surgery, you get it.
Re: roux – It actually wouldn't really cost any more than you're already paying - the only noticable difference would probably be the tax you pay to your government instead of the premiums you already pay to the insurance company. The transition is not without it's hiccups but really - after everythings ironed out you'd have an accessable better ethical health care system for a few months of disruption?
I like americans , Your government are horrible greedy callous people that don't care about you -stop letting them treat you like garbage
When you dumb ass americans finally get off your fat assess and vote for a government that gives even a shit about you, things may change.
You get what you deserve
This is the future of healthcare in the US. The insurance companies don't give a shit about us…they just want $$. Thanks Nixon! Thanks Reagan! Thanks Bush! They ruined it for all of us….I'm moving to Europe.
We need to Stop allowing our government to pawn their responsibilities to us and put it in the hands of private cooperate concerns whose only interest / motive lies in making a buck . We need to take ownership of our health care system and stop letting these greedy monster let us die FFS the republicans have RUINED AMERICA.
We need to Stop allowing our government to pawn their responsibilities to us off and by putting it in the hands of these private cooperate concerns whose only interest / motive lies in making a buck . We need to take ownership of our health care system and stop letting these greedy monsters let us die FFS the republicans have RUINED AMERICA.
We need to Stop allowing our government to pawn their responsibilities to us off by putting it in the hands of these private cooperate concerns whose only interest / motive lies in making a buck . We need to take ownership of our health care system and stop letting these greedy monsters let us die FFS the republicans have RUINED AMERICA.
HEY! HEY! U.S.A.-HOW-MANY-KIDS-DID-YOU-LET-YOUR-HEALTH-CARE-SYSTEM-KILL-TODAY? -is what we'll be chanting soon outside of the whitehouse if things DON'T IMPROVE QUICKLY.
i hope one of the many overly rich people in our country reads this and helps her… to them it would just be another day shopping, or another night at the club - HELP HER!
Damn I've just realized. Americans don't suck , only there government does.
No wonder so many of you are fucked up on drugs or deluded religious fanatic republicans . Hope things change for you all soon xx
18 000 ppl die eatch year becous of no insurance,so why are all americans pretending to be upset?
You want this system,support torture and pre emtive wars… then claim to have the moral highground in the world.
Prfff…
That is so wrong on every level. I am glad I live in Norway, shit like that don't happen here. If something ever happens to my health I know I will be in good hands.
The health care system in the states sounds more like human slaughter than human rescue.
You fail not the insurance companies. . suzy fat ass Q can kiss my INSURED ass , She does not deserve to be treated because SHE let her insurance run out. Nasty stupid azz folz.
Vote John McCain if y'all want better health care.
….AETNA has made one more voter we can count on to help fix The Best Healthcare System In The World
Re: fuk-u – Obama will ruin health care if he socializes it - Beverly hills general will fill up with gun shot victims from the valley then you”ll see. and fuk-u , you're such an obvious obama supporting troll with your stereotyped hilly billy republican act. Try harder. We need regulators and better safety nets .
meh , poor girl . get well soon x
Thank you perez for posting this x shows a significant proportion want reform and the ones that don't , don't because they have literally no idea of what they're opposing x
Re: matt – And btw I was being facetious by satirizing populist ignorance in case no one realized. Universal health care now.
Re: kiss – Finally! Someone else who feels the same way I do. You would never believe the amount of Republican friends I have that try and fight me on this issue. The worst part of it is, they are completely uneducated and their whole defense is based off what they heard on the "corrupted" news or what they heard from a Republican politician…so it must be true!
Why doesn't someone make this a worthwhile cause, and everyone can donate so she can afford the damn insurance? What happened to treating your neighbor as yourself?
Re: Amand – ………..
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….quote: Amamd- page 2 - comment 120……..
"BTW, all you people saying "this would never happen in Canada", you are wrong. Thousands upon thousands of Canadians come to the states for treatment every year. Get a clue! "
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You realize the COMPLETE opposite is true?
Droves of Americans - failed by your health care system - seeking health care assistance travel to CANADA everyday because THEY KNOW we will not turn them away , even though they haven't paid tax here - we help them because we know if we don't your system would probably let them die in the gutter. Educate the few brain cells you have in your head with facts and not “American Health Care System” propaganda.
Re: IHATE – To IHATE, #323:
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I am a citizen of the United States, and I *don't* want the Iraq War, nor do I support terrorism. I support diplomacy first. We should never have acted without U.N. approval and should NEVER have invaded Iraq. We had no grounds. Please do not lump ALL (North) Americans in with the Republicans, who created the war, love the war, and I only hope Obama becomes president, but please understand that even if Obama wins, the Republicans have left things such a hot mess over the past 8 years, Obama would be inheriting a nightmare, which likely will get blamed on him instead of Bush, which isn't fair. Now Bush wants to allow drilling in Alaska and off our coastlines, and I hope those of you savvy enough to understand about alternative energy plus how this really will NOT help us this much, nor is it a solution to the survival of the human race as China copies us and burns more and more fossil fuels … we need to be setting a good solution to CHINA, otherwise global warming will melt the poles, which in turn will be the end of the ocean conveyor belt and the destruction of the human race. The earth will shake us humans off like a bad case of fleas and keep going. Wake up, people.
Re: whaat – hahaha - someone just emailed this to me and i'm reading through the comments . that made me laugh and I agree totally btw.
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Obama / the other candidates of various parties aren't the answer to your problems - He (Obama) or who ever has likely hood of winning the presidential position should be ANSWERABLE to you , the American voting public , regardless of party
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I mean , you cannot expect politicians to be clairvoyant and do things in your favor if you don't speak up AND USE YOUR COLLECTIVE VOICE TO BRING ABOUT CHANGE. Stop letting these tyrants rule you unchallenged and make them answerable to you – the American people – which is what they should be anyway, After all they're public servants that should in theory have your best interests at heart , which they obviously do not.
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Republican / democrat / whatever - it does not matter - they should not be left to pursue their own interests unabashed, they should always be culpable and answerable to the American people. stop assuming they have your best interests at heart and start flexing your collective muscle as people that live and work within a country and generate capital that keeps it afloat - you have every right too.
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Educate yourselves and stop allowing greedy war mongering pseudo religious nut jobs rule you!
-peace to you all.
Re: matt – lols . What gave it away? Was the “y'all” too much? And to think I resisted using “it's not called the white house for no reason” bit they're so fond of using behind closed doors because I thought that would've been too much of a give away. Obama for prez and -universal health care now- love yaz!
x fuk-u x
As a Canadian living in the U.S., I can only say WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THIS PLACE!!!!!!! I truly believe the people getting rich off other peoples' suffering will burn in hell (and I'm and athiest).
this is terrible.
i hope the company loses a lot of clients because of this.
what a mess!
btw what is first?
This would never happen in Canada-this is shameful