In the News
Everett Herald: As patients ‘get sicker while they wait,’ doctors fight insurance delaysSydney JacksonWhen doctors diagnosed Robin Sparks with cancer two years ago, they needed to act fast. The hard lump on her neck was Stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a blood cancer that penetrates bone marrow and attacks the immune system. Sparks, of Marysville, spent weeks wading through tests and appointments to get her diagnosis. Three months into her six-month chemotherapy treatment, Sparks’ doctors wanted to check her progress. But her insurance company, Ambetter, repeatedly denied a CT scan request. “The reason was that it was ‘just not necessary,’” said Sparks, 61. “Well, I think it was pretty darn necessary to know if my targeted treatment was working or not.” Patients “can get sicker while they wait days, weeks or even months in many cases for approval of routine treatments,” DelBene, D-Medina, said Tuesday. “We’ve also seen patients just abandon care because they aren’t sure if they’re ever going to hear if it’s covered.” Health insurance companies sometimes require patients to prove they need medication or treatment before approving coverage, a practice called prior authorization. The practice is time-consuming for health care workers and delays necessary care for patients, said Dr. Brandon Tudor, an emergency physician at Overlake Medical Center in Bellevue. Click here to read the full article on the Everett Herald. |