Dr. Daniel Vicario, an oncologist who practices in Carlsbad, California (near San Diego) is out of patience with health insurance companies. This video captures a moving account of the problem of denial of health care, as seen from the inside. I am awed by his willingness to advocate for his patients. i
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I met Dr. Vicario on an airplane to Seattle-Tacoma. He was on his way to spend a week learning more about meditation and we started talking about the emotional needs of cancer patients. At his clinic, patients receive psychological counseling and a range of integrative therapies to help them cope with their disease and recovery.
He is disillusioned by the actions of insurance companies that begin by denying adequate diagnostic tests so that doctors can recommend the appropriate treatments. Then they deny treatments that are well-accepted, claiming that the modalities are only experimental. He and his staff have to take time away from patient care arguing with insurance company clerks and then insurance company doctors.
I applaud the efforts of the Mad-As-Hell Doctors, (you can get to their Facebook page from the site), but I wouldn't put Dr. Vicario in that category. Rather, he is saddened by how dysfunctional our system is and quite determined to do all he can for his patients.
Please feel free to spread this video far and wide. Tomorrow or Wednesday, I'm going to put up some video of a patient who has been denied both diagnostic tests and treatment. She looks wonderful and she is hanging in there, but the progression of her illness was a preventable tragedy that should never have happened. Stay tuned!