Insurance coverage for alternative health care: just ask

I think there should be public stockades for situations like this.

When a Wisconsin woman named Diane was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, her doctor told her she would live only three months. He gave her the classic line: Go home and put your affairs in order. Instead she did some research and found treatment at a cancer center that combines conventional and alternative therapies. Five years later she’s alive and her cancer is in remission.

Here’s my suggestion: A couple of days in a public stockade for Diane’s original doctor would be a perfect way to send a message to doctors and patients everywhere. Don’t limit your options.

Especially when a life is at risk.

Diane’s story was recently told in a New York Times article that offers an important insight about how to take control of your health care when you’re in the fight of your life.

Many large hospitals employ patient advocates who can help wrangle insurance details. In Diane’s case it wasn’t a hospital, it was Block Center for Integrative Cancer Care in Evanston, IL.

What’s most surprising is that Diane and her Block Center advocate negotiated with agents at Diane’s insurance company and actually persuaded them to cover unconventional treatments.

Obviously this requires patience and persistence – qualities that are often in short supply when you’re being treated for cancer. That’s when a diligent patient advocate can be a lifesaver. Literally.

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson

Source:
“Path to Alternative Therapies is Littered With Obstacles” Walecia Konrad, New York Times, 11/14/09, nytimes.com