Thanks to CIGNA Healthcare’s foot dragging, 17-year-old Nataline Sarkisyan’s family attended her funeral today. Despite the fact that the young California native’s doctors recommended a liver transplant following a recurrence of her leukemia, Cigna initially said it would not pay for the operation because its experts determined it would not have been “effective or appropriate.” Nataline developed a complication from a bone-marrow transplant she received before Thanksgiving and, because her liver was failing, doctors recommended a transplant, saying she had a 65 percent chance of living for at least six months. Family members said UCLA Medical Center had a liver available for transplant, but doctors would not perform the procedure because of Cigna’s refusal to cover it. Cigna initially refused to fund the procedure, but reversed itself after its decision drew protests and negative publicity. However, by then the girl was too sick and she died hours later. Nataline was taken off life support and died on December 20^th. Let us hope that the family’s lawyer, Mark Geragos, can nail Cigna on criminal charges. How do all those insurance company douchebags sleep at night with so much blood on their hands?

Bookmark to: