Widow Takes Health Care Fight To Capitol Hill (husband's story was in SICKO)

[proud2BlibKansan]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The widow of a man who lost his battle with kidney cancer and his health-care provider is taking that fight to a larger stage.

Tracy Pierce died in February 2006. His family said his battle to beat cancer was not a fair fight because despite being fully insured, Pierce's insurance provider refused to pay for many of the treatments prescribed by his doctor, saying they were experimental or not a medical necessity. In the end, Pierce's family called it "death by denial."

"I just can't believe you've got this insurance company that's just willing to let you die," said Tracy Pierce's wife, Julie.
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KMBC's Jim Flink started following Tracy Pierce's story two years ago, documenting Pierce's fight against kidney cancer and against an insurance provider, which rejected many of the treatments Pierce's doctor requested.

"I just hope we can get something done about this. I'm not done with this," Tracy Pierce said in his final interview. Flink reported that Pierce died an hour and a half after giving the interview.

Flink's news report spawned a firestorm of interest. Julie Pierce was contacted by documentary filmmaker Michael Moore. Moore said the Pierces' situation is part of a national trend.

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National notoriety has brought a bigger platform after the movie's release. Julie Pierce was called to Capitol Hill to testify before Congress. http://youtube.com/watch?v=_9p4WODXM8Q

more . . .
http://www.thekansascitychannel.com/health/13690306/detail.html?rss=kc1&psp=news

[Viva_La_Revolution]

1. I thought he fell into a coma and died a few days later?

""I just hope we can get something done about this. I'm not done with this," Tracy Pierce said in his final interview. Flink reported that Pierce died an hour and a half after giving the interview."
:shrug:

Anyway... Go Julie!

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Well I would trust Michael Moore over this TV station's story

[Viva_La_Revolution]

3. I do too.

:)

[marmar]

4. I've seen the movie twice....and cried like a baby during that scene both times.

Best wishes to the Pierce family and good luck to Julie.... And damnation to the health insurance racket! :grr:

[knitter4democracy]

5. Most kidney cancer treatments are experimental. Idiots.

If they looked into it at all, they'd see that doctors are throwing anything and everything they can at kidney cancer. The odds of survival at five years, even for stage three, for some cancers (there are many different kidney cancers) are crap. The one they were worried I had last fall has a zero percent survival rate at three years, let alone five. They would've thrown the kitchen sink at me, I'm sure.

If some corporation did that to my husband, I'd be on the offensive, too. She needs to keep testifying and telling her story until someone does something, and not just to mandate care for kidney cancer but for everyone.

[Big Pappa]

6. These insurance

companies are crap. If it was up to them everything would be experimental.

[cutlassmama]

8. Yep n/t

[Missy Vixen]

7. Go, Julie!

Let them have it. :woohoo:

It's time that all Americans had the same free health coverage that everyone in Congress and the White House has, isn't it?

the other Julie

[midnight]

9. Not medically necessary and experimental. That's what they

are saying about my family member's treatment too. I wrote the Insurance commissioner, and he said that he can't tell the insurance co. to provide insurance, and that it is the employers job to make sure insurance benefits are being covered. This has been going on for over a year.

[Pooka Fey]

10. Good on her. K&R