I have always admired your smarts, your tenacity, your compassion and your commitment to mothering. These qualities and much more is what it took for you to negotiate your way through the maze of medical Alice in Wonderland and emerge with a reality that worked for Hilary in the best way imaginable. Your story truly inspires others to keep fighting for what they need for themselves and their loved ones.

Your friend,
Michele

For example, the larger organization may be unaware of this department’s practice. There may be factions inside the organization that need a case to advance a better way. If not, pressure can be applied if appropriate. Or maybe your side of the story is wrong.

You know who they are–they know who they are. The only reason to not tell the rest of us would be that you have a financial settlement contingent on not talking. And if that’s the case you should reveal it.

If you don’t rewrite this with real names, this is a great story about how you were a fierce advocate for your daughter. But you haven’t changed the wider process, and what happens to the next daughter whose mother isn’t as tough or smart as you?

Matthew

Thanks for taking the time to read the article and comment. I wish I knew more about the good health insurance stories e-patient Dave mentioned.

And you were an important member of the support team! Thanks!

I’m glad you are sending the article on to Utah Health Policy Project. Thanks. In this case, business profits did not triumph over health care. It took too much effort to make that happen… but I am grateful it did. The State Board of Managed Health Care saved the day.

This is why we need Health Care Insurance Reform. The current law is only a baby step in the right direction. Unfortunately, as long as the USA is wedded to the market as the provider of health care insurance these type of problems will continue to happen. When business profits come up against the best health care option for the patient all too often business profits trump health care. This is more true for the for-profit health insurance companies that for the non-profit health insurance companies. Back in the 70′s I had hope for HMOs as a solution to this problem, but the bean counters took over the HMOs and perverted the idea that the medical professionals would direct patient care. I guess I will just have to keep praying for a “single payer health insurance” that contracts with any qualified health care professional and allows the patient to choose the one that meets their needs.

I just want to add that it’s a bit of an overgeneralization to say “they’re all the same.” When I was in the pits with my cancer (very bad odds and expensive to treat), my insurance company (Harvard Pilgrim at the time) was excellent.

Now that I think of it, the 5th blog post I ever wrote (December 9, 2007) was titled Thank You, Harvard Pilgrim.

Who knew there was a real Dr. House, and you found him.

It doesn’t matter which HMO you went to, they’re all the same. Your story is a great example of our broken health care system. I hope it woke some poeple up.

HKBR

From one Mama Lion to another … I say thank you for your comments and for reading this long journal account of our odyssey. While gentleness is at times a virtue, it also is a liability. Finding a balance in this particular experience was a challenge for me. I found my way by orienting and re-orienting myself along the path so Hilary was assured of getting necessary and appropriate surgical care.