A teenager is dead after her health insurance company refused to pay for her emergency liver transplant surgery. Her insurance agreed to pay after a protest, but it was too late and the 17-year-old died of complications.
Nataline Sarkisyan, 17, was battling leukemia and received a bone marrow transplant from her brother. The surgery went fine, but soon after she developed a complication and her liver failed.
Doctors advised her parents she needed an emergency live transplant, and sent a letter to CIGNA Healthcare insurance company for approval on Dec. 11. The company denied payment for the transplant, saying it won’t work for her and there was lack of evidence the procedure would work.
Many people heard about this case and came to the support of Nataline in large numbers, gather for a protest outside CIGNA’s office in Glendale. The protest even included her nurses.
After the protests, CIGNA reversed its decision and said it would approve the transplant surgery. However, it was too late and Nataline Sarkisyan
died Thursday night at about 6 p.m. at University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center.
Her mother Hilda said the insurance company is responsible for her death.
Sadly Nataline has become another statistic in this health care mess in the U.S. The government has enough money to spend in Iraq but doesn’t have funds to provide basic care for the youth (future) of America.
Teen dies after CIGNA insurance denies transplant funds
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