A man in Tennessee needs a liver transplant. Unfortunately, he has been prevented from getting on the transplant list because he does not have health insurance. This pushes him, and his family, into an extremely expensive situation.
Right now, many Americans are unable to afford health insurance. Employer sponsored health insurance has started to disappear. The health care reform laws have helped some groups find health insurance that were unable to find coverage previous to those laws. For example, young adults who are under the age of 26 can be covered through their parent’s health insurance plans.
There are many Americans who do not have any form of health insurance coverage at all. They cannot afford to pay for private health insurance, and they do not qualify for a government run type of health insurance plan. This is a precarious situation to be in, especially if someone who has no coverage becomes seriously ill.
Chris Laslie is 33 years old. Over a year ago, he had an aneurysm. That aneurysm was connected to a serious medical problem that Chris was not even aware that he had. It turned out that he was experiencing the early stages of sclerosis of his liver, and now required a liver transplant.
Later that year, Chris had a second aneurysm, which required a second trip to the ER. Without insurance, those two emergency room visits cost Chris, and his wife, Debra, over $200,000. Chris requires several medications, and has lost his job. His condition made it impossible for him to continue working.
He has applied for both private and public health insurance. So far, every single one of them have decided to deny his application. Previous to this illness, Chris was working as a shop manager for a company that builds wooden pallets. Debra was on disability, because she had back surgery and was suffering from chronic back pains. Their total income was around $35,000, which just barely supported the couple and their sixteen year old son. After Chris lost his job, their income dropped to $17,412.
They applied for TennCare, which is a state-funded insurance for low-income adults and children. Their application was denied. Chris was told he did not qualify for the insurance because he was not a minor. He also didn’t qualify because he didn’t have breast cancer, cervical cancer, was not pregnant, and was not blind.
The Baptist East Hospital agreed to knock down their medical bills from $200,000 to around $20,000. The biggest problem, however, is still unresolved.
Chris requires a liver transplant, but cannot get added to the transplant list. He must be seen by a hepatologist before he can be put on that list. So far, they cannot find a hepatologist that will agree to see Chris, because he does not have health insurance. The Baptist East Hospital does not have a hepatologist on staff, and the hospital does not do liver transplants. If he cannot be seen by a hepatologist, then he will never be placed on the transplant list.
What if the couple did have health insurance coverage before Chris had his first aneurysm? A report that was done by the Labor Department in 2010 found that only 45% of health insurance plans cover organ transplants. Having health insurance might not have prevented what happened to this couple.
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