I read this amazing story about a woman who was mauled by a bear (No doubt a mistaken Mauling)
and then Seriously mauled by Blue Cross. As she says, "I lost my face to the bear for a day, before it
was reattached, but, I have lost my life savings to Blue Cross"
http://www.bobcesca.com/...
Last summer, while working on my ranch in the Southern Sierra mountains, I was attacked and badly mauled by a predatory black bear. Although my face was ripped off, and I was blinded, I was able to make my way back to my vehicle and drive myself down a rutted mountain road to a fire station for help. From there I was airlifted to UCLA Medical Center where a team of nearly a hundred people put me back together in a grueling seven-hour emergency surgery.
That was the easy part...
THAT WAS THE EASY PART?????
Although I’ve maintained a private individual health insurance policy with Blue Cross of California for thirty (30) years, they have, at every turn of my ordeal, tried to waffle, obfuscate, or outright deny me benefits for medical care. Because my injuries were mostly to my eyes, my facial structure (including my nose and most of my teeth,) and obviously, cosmetic appearance, my policy “does not cover services,” for putting me back together, and demands 30% co-pays before they will pay for the hugely expensive ($300,000 and counting,) reconstructive surgeries I need to regain a degree of functionality.
I am, not surprisingly, disabled and unable to work. My assets and savings were exhausted long ago, (their deductable and co-pays reset every calendar year and my reassembly is a multi-year project.)
I always thought having a "good" insurance policy was not only my civic responsibility, but would cover my medical expenses should I ever face a catastrophic illness. But it turns out that Blue Cross's $2,500 deductable is actually more in the order of an $11,500 deductable before they kick in for 100% of what they deem "reasonable and customary" care. Even that determination is subjective and skewered in their favor.
All this is on top of Blue Cross's insanely expensive monthly premiums a difficult proposition for me given that SSI disability only pays me $654oops, just reduced to $625-- a month on which to live.
If anyone is interested in using me as a "spokesvictim," I’ve documented my injuries and recovery in both journalistic and photographic detail and have a complete record of my insurance travails.
I am in an unique position to advocate for getting the insurance industry out of the medical care system–and am more than willing to offer up my privacy and dignity in order to do so. I am free to travel and testify, am articulate and funny, and have had highly positive responses to my public appearances thus far. (If you Google me, many of these are posted. I also have DVD’s of most of them.)
Allena Hansen
This woman needs to be interviewed by Michael Moore.
This woman needs to be interviewed by NYCEVE,
This woman needs to be on Charlie Rose.