Mom Reveals 4 Things Health Insurance Companies Have Said About Her Terminally Ill 4-Year-Old That Make It Hard For Her To Have Compassion For The UHC CEO's Family
"My empathy is out of network."
SeventyFour | Shutterstock In the wake of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson’s deadly shooting, many Americans are finding it difficult to have sympathy for his family due to his company’s treatment of their own.
Just months before a bullet took Thompson’s life, UnitedHealth was accused of inadvertently taking the lives of thousands of people who just needed basic healthcare and were denied it. Countless are still fighting for essential medical treatment and care.
One of those people is Helena McCabe, who has dedicated her life to getting her 4-year-old son critically ill son the treatment he deserves. McCabe knows all too well just how corrupt the American healthcare system is and how most people who run health insurance companies care more about putting money in their pockets than helping their clients.
For her, having sympathy for Thompson’s family amid his death has been a challenge. Instead of mourning for them, she cannot help but reflect on all of the times the healthcare system failed her little boy.
A mom revealed 4 things health insurance companies have told her regarding her 4-year-old terminally ill son’s medical care:
In a TikTok video, McCabe addressed why she doesn’t have much compassion for Thompson’s family as they mourn his death, given how health insurance companies have treated her and her 4-year-old son, Max, who was diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder known as TBCD (Tubulin Folding Cofactor D).
The disorder affects the spine, brain, and spinal cord, impacting mobility, speech, and sight.
While there is currently no cure for TBCD, certain medications have been known to alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life. It was dubbed the “orphan disease” since medical and pharmaceutical industries have stopped researching treatments due to its scarcity and treatability.
It may be the reason why many health insurance companies leave those with TBCD fending for themselves and why they have been able to get away with making horrid claims to McCabe regarding little Max and his necessary medications and treatment.
1. ‘Yes, it does meet our criteria as listed for ‘medically necessary.’ It’s just not included in your plan.’
If you’ve ever had to fight with your health insurance companies regarding basic medical care, you’ve probably heard a statement like this.
It seems as if even though certain treatments and medications will save your life, you have to get on your hands and knees and beg your insurance companies just for them to agree that you deserve to be treated humanely.
2. ‘There’s no clinical evidence that this equipment is beneficial for children with his condition.’
According to McCabe, there is not much factual evidence for this statement.
There are less than 50 children worldwide who have the same condition as Max, and little research has been conducted as to what equipment would benefit them.
However, a terminal diagnosis does not mean a patient doesn't deserve treatment or care that could potentially improve their quality of life.
3. ‘Not everything someone needs to live qualifies as ‘medically necessary.’
Um … we beg to differ. Medications and treatments people require just to keep themselves breathing is absolutely necessary.
Denying them these should be considered murder.
4. ‘We can’t approve this claim without a formal denial from your primary insurance, and they won’t formally deny it because it’s not covered on your plan and can’t be filed as a claim.’
Now, they’re just making stuff up and trying to make it unnecessarily complicated for a mother to get basic care for her child.
Denying claims only helps those who work within health insurance companies put more money in their pockets while children like Max are struggling to live.
GoFundMe
We only seem to recognize violence when it comes in the form of a bullet. However, watching your child struggle to breathe as they are denied necessary treatment over and over again is a form of violence and will kill far more people than one bullet will.
Even with coverage, many Americans are one illness away from financial devastation.
An estimated 112 million (44%) American adults are struggling to pay for healthcare, and more than double that number (93%) feel that what they do pay is not worth the cost, per West Health and Gallup.
Health challenges can strike anyone at any time, no matter what our financial situation may look like. Insurance companies should not have the final say on treatment options — that should be left to medical professionals.
Healthcare is not just about treating diseases. It is about valuing human life and recognizing that everyone, not just CEO billionaires, deserves the right to health and well-being.
While Brian Thompson may have a family of his own, so did the countless Americans who lost their lives because they were denied coverage by companies like UnitedHealth.
Click here to donate to Max's GoFundMe page to advocate for additional research and therapies in the hopes of finding effective treatments and, hopefully, a cure for TBCD.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.