I had a similar situation with my son. My son was born with a double aortic arch. He had cardiac surgery at 6 weeks but failed extubation several times. The next surgery possible was a trachea reconstruction surgery. While this surgery could have been done in the city where we lived, the world expert in this field is in Cincinnati, OH. We spoke to this surgeon who agreed to evaluate my son’s condition. We were then told by United Healthcare they woudl not pay for his exam, treatment, tests, etc. They did admit that this doctor was on the United Healthcare Plan in OH but that was not my state. We agreed to pay any difference in our plan and the charges under the OH plan. At the point this was all going on, my son was clinging to life. We contacted our HR departmetn for help. We discussed it with many doctors and insurance workers at United. No one at United was willing to see the ‘human’ side of this problem. Thankfully, we are no longer with United and life has been much easier. By the grace of God, my son did not end up needing the surgery and has recovered 90%.

Yet another good reason to go with Federal health insurance. If a necessary procedure is denied, the representatives of our outraged population would have some control to alter the policy. It may put a lot of insurance C.E.O’s and their billion dollar compensation packages out of business, but everyone in the country would be insured, and we could finally follow the teachings of Jesus’ “good Samaritan” parable…instead of the inherent requirements of the cherry-picking, money-chasing, acts of pure greed “our” health care system forces on us currently.

Honey, if 63 surgeries have not made you whole, no amount will. I suggest you try prayer because that is your only hope.

I can’t believe Medicaid won’t cover this. Obviously since previous surgeries were done, it’s not a cosmetic necessity. All I can say is shame on them. How many of these cases do they have? It can’t be in the thousands/millions. I say do it.

You are missing the point this IS a federally/state funded insurance company that is refusing to cover her care; not a private one. This is what nationalized health care will provide; bureaucracy making decisions about health procedure, NOT medical professionals, and rationing WILL occur.

Its a shame this woman has to almost beg to get this work done! But what is more tragic is if this was a person from another country a Dr. would be donating his surgery skills. How many times do we see in the paper of a Dr. either flying over to or have somebody flown to this country to do a dramatic surgery… Maybe some Dr. needs to consider donating his service to this woman. Hopefully something good will come out of the article.

It seems to me that it is also the doctors that are not seeing the “human” side of the story! I hate insurance companies that do not make reasonable exceptions (as in the United Health Care Plan), but Medicaid DID say they would cover the surgery! She just did not want to see a different doctor! The doctor did not volunteer to do the surgery for free because he has been treating her for 22 years! Come on! I hate health care issues, but this is just overkill!

This is in response to Kevin. Kevin, Medicaid is government sponsored, government regulated health care. This is what you get. If you are not familiar with what Medicaid is and who governs it’s rules and regulations, you can find this out on the internet. If this was started when she was a child, Medicaid should be under obligation to finish the treatment that was started.

This is a prime example, from tens of thousands, why people need to get the government OUT of their everyday lives. Establishing ANOTHER government agency will do little but add to the already over-the-top BLOAT.

Horrible!! It seems that insurance companies only want to collect premiums and they’ll find every excuse NOT to cover what the insured think they have coverage for. Medical coverage should be for just that - Medical expenses. No State lines, No condition NOT covered, No small print, No exclusions, No Exceptions. If we can’t afford to provide it to our own citizens, stop sending help elsewhere and take care of our own first. Let Congress approve the money for this instead of approving a raise for themselves next time. Horrible!!
Roger Gangitano
Melbourne, FL

Do they or do then not constantly allow women to sit around (not working) and have child after child. I work and my huband works yet we can barely afford to raise the 2 children we have, let alone the third that we are praying for. I would love to see this money go to help someone who actually NEEDS the assistance and is not just abusing it.

Anyone who thinks nationalized health care will work should pay attention to this incident. It’s a bill of goods that will be the largest mistake in history.

Remember everyone considers “We’re the government and we’re here to help you.” as a JOKE.

Can anyone name a federal program that works better that any private equivalent.

Those of you pining your hopes on a national health insurance plan, take note.

IF SHE WAS BORN IN ANOTHER COUNTRY WE COULDN’T GET HER HERE FAST ENOUGH FOR SURGERY..SOMETIMES OUR GOVERNMENT IS CRAZY.

I WISH HER GOOD LUCK.

Call the closest masonic lodge….a Scottish Rite hospital will help.

Hopefully one of our compassionate political figures will step up and get involved in this case. One word from John McCain in the hyper media environment and the donations would come flooding in or the government would get involved. If Americans can raise the money for plastic surgeons to help a deformed Iraqi child (not that this was a bad thing), we ought to be able to raise the funds to help this American women.

God bless her for not hiding away and giving up the fight. I would be proud to donate to her effort.

What? You mean to tell me that we can bring children in from all over this earth and do reconstructed surgery on them for free, but we cannot take care of one of our own. How sad.

I WAN’T TO DIVORCE THIS COUNTRY, BE LEGAL IN ANOTHER, AND THEN COME BACK SO MY KID’S AND FAMILY COULD ALL HAVE ENOUGH FOOD, MEDICAL, AND THE MORTGAGE PAID FOR. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS COUNTRY?

Medicaid or national ins will never be adequate just ask Canadiens. Maybee George Soros and his ilk could pay for this. Or Bob Gates. But I’m taxed out allready.

How about the Shriners Crippled Childrens Hospital. That’s what we do.

This is the wonderful world of government provided healthcare that we can all expect if some politicians get their way.

This is so sad. I work for a pediatric plastic surgeon who specialized in Cleft Lip/Palate (birth defects), and I can’t even imagine Dr. “G” turning down a patient. But for an insurance company to tell these patients that once they turn 18, it becomes cosmetic is so WRONG! I have a co-worker whose daughter in law was a child with a cleft, and she has the same issues with ins. companies now. The rest of the work is purely cosmetic; even though it is not.

I wish this young lady the best of luck. And I am proud of her for taking a stand, and not letting the company walk all over her!!

Medicaid is a state run program. Each state has its own Medicaid program, with its own eligibility requirements and its own coverage (and its own payment system), all within Federal guidelines. If there are qualified providers in this young lady’s state then of course they wouldn’t cover her going to a doctor in another state. I’m sorry that her doctor chose to move to another state, but that certainly isn’t Medicaid’s fault. Perhaps she should inquire of her doctor to find the name of someone local that he would recommend who could competently perform the same procedure that he wants to try.

why doesn’t she get a job and her own insurance, and pay for it herself? Or where has her family been through all this?
Has she thanked the citizens of MI that have paid for her healthcare all her life?

Taxpayer Tom, don’t you think it would be hard to hold down a normal job if you were totally blind, and couldn’t even eat normally?

Even if she could hold down a normal job, surgery is extremely expensive.

The previous operations that were done for this woman were all state provided. Up until she was 18, Medina’s medical treatments were covered by MIChild, which provides state aid for low-income children.

Medicaid is farmed out to PRIVATE carriers such as Molina Healthcare in Michigan. Molina Healthcare is also paid premiums from several other state’s Medicaid funds. They have a great deal of influence as to what procedures are covered, as it is their job to create as large a PROFIT as possible from these state funds.

Of course, any government-run health insurance system will not realize any benefits if they farm out the coverage to the very private health insurance carriers that were the problem to begin with.