Will you write to McClellan and others to save Lauren Rainey?

[msgadget]

(I searched, sorry if this is a dupe)

I saw a link to this article on Michael Moore's site. This page has contact information: http://www.waveflux.net/archives/000603.php

>Due to her medical condition, Lauren requires 24-hour a day supervision. Medicaid currently provides her a trained nurse for 10 hours a day. But a recent letter from Alabama Medicaid says a decision has been made to eliminate Lauren's care.
As to why, Medicaid officials would only tell Lauren's mother: "She doesn't meet the criteria. I don't know how they can do that."

To find out, NBC15's Bruce Mildwurf went to Montgomery to meet with Alabama Medicaid Medical Director Dr. Mary McIntyre. She is the doctor who made the final decision in Lauren's case. "I have to make it (decisions on Medicaid clients) based on the medical information that is provided, the documentation that is submitted, and whether or not they actually meet the criteria," said McIntyre.

The Medicaid official said the decision is based solely on the individual's medical records and the nurses progress notes. She said Medicaid only provides nursing care for patients whose condition is clearly worsening.

Dr. Lawrence Sindel, Lauren's doctor, responds to that by saying, "Clearly the people that made the decision don't understand what's going on with Lauren or they decided taking care of her is not worthwhile."

Dr. Sindel has cared for Lauren for ten years. He said if they waited for her condition to worsen further, the price could be her life. "I think if she were to get the flu, it would be very difficult to help her through that. If she were to catch a pneumonia, it would be very difficult to help her through that. So the likelihood she could die is very high." said Sindel.

"Words like could and may, those are all things that could happen to anyone in this room." said McIntyre during our interview. The difference being everyone who was in the room when she made that comment was healthy. <...><