2 Cents May Be the Difference Between Life and Death for Cancer Patient Ron Flanagan

[Judi Lynn]

Source: ABC News

2 Cents May Be the Difference Between Life and Death for Cancer Patient Ron Flanagan
Ron Flanagan Cannot Afford the Stem Cell Transplant He Needs After Being Dropped By His Insurance Over an Innocent Error
By BEN FORER
Jan. 26, 2011

What can make the difference between receiving a potentially lifesaving surgery or not?

For Vietnam veteran Ronald Flanagan, Ceridian Cobra Services has determined it's 2 cents.

Flanagan has multiple myeloma, cancer of the bone marrow, which he has been fighting since September 2008. He now needs a third stem cell transplant surgery but has lost his health coverage over a 2 cent error.

Ceridian Cobra Services, an insurance benefits administrator, dropped Ron Flanagan after his wife, Frances Flanagan, said she mistakenly substituted a 7 for a 9 when she paid their monthly health insurance premium of $328.69 online.



Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/cancer-patient-vietnam-vet-ron-flanagan-loses-insurance/story?id=12768088

[Karia]

1. Ceridian

Still owned by Thomas H. Lee Partners and Fidelity National Financial?

[DesertFlower]

2. this is appalling. nt

[kestrel91316]

3. SINGLE. EFFIN'. PAYER. NOW.

[FiveGoodMen]

4. Amen!

[FiveGoodMen]

5. I would approve the death penalty for the Ceridian employee who made the decision

and for everyone over their heads who didn't reverse it.

Nope. Not kidding at all.

[KansDem]

10. Put them in solitary confinement...

...then say, "You can be released for 2 cents. What? Oh, too bad...we'll try again tomorrow."*
________
*Of course, you make sure they relinquish all their belongings, including loose change...

[FiveGoodMen]

11. Another good approach

[blackspade]

6. Bullshit

A simple phone call would have taken care of this.
Hell, just add it to the next premium with whatever the 'standard' late payment fee was.

[SteveG]

9. Nope

I had to deal with Ceridian a number of years ago to maintain Cobra on my son. I mailed the check one month in advance and sent it registered mail return receipt requested. They are notorious for this type of crap. If the check shows up one day late, you are toast, if you make a mistake like this mans wife did, you are toast. They will not even talk to you about this stuff.

[blackspade]

12. What a bunch of assholes!

And I thought cigna was bad!

[McCamy Taylor]

7. The employee who dropped him gets a bonus. That is how insurance works.

[drm604]

8. They used that 2 cents as a technicality

so that they could drop someone who was costing them money. It's that simple. If he were young and healthy and never used the insurance they'd have added the 2 cents to his next months premium.

[kas125]

13. And once again, an insurance company refuses to do the

right thing until they are publicly shamed -

Insurance Company Reinstates Vet After 7NEWS Story

THORNTON, Colo. --
<snip>
But on Wednesday, under intense public pressure and a national outcry, Ceridian reinstated Ron's benefits. Ron said he even received a call from Ceridian's CEO, Stuart Harvey.

"He called and he said he wanted to talk man to man and apologize for what happened, and what this has put me and my family through. He said no one should have to go through that for that kind of amount. He said we don't mean to be that kind of company," said Ron.

Frances said she is elated about the decision.

"It's like a ton of bricks just fell off me. And I know a ton of bricks just fell off my husband," said Frances.
<snip>

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/26626470/detail.html