SFN

Our friend Jenn Coffey, a member of Rights & Democracy from Manchester, New Hampshire, has spent 20 years of her life providing medical assistance to patients as an EMT and LNA in ambulances and emergency departments alike. Now, she’s in severe need of medical assistance herself but, faces resistance and outright denials from her private health insurance company, United Healthcare. Jenn has a United Healthcare Medicare (dis)Advantage plan. Coffey first got cancer when she was 30 in 2014 and again at 42 and had to undergo a mastectomy and reconstruction at the same time. As a result of her cancer treatments, she now suffers from Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) which causes intense pain that has kept her in the hospital for weeks at a time. There is currently no known cure for CRPS, but doctors have found ways to alleviate the pain for patients. Coffey needs ketamine infusions, and low dose naltrexone for her pain and long acting mestinon for vision and mental clarity . But she’s unable to pay for them, and has already sold most of her belongings to be able to pay for some of her treatments. United Healthcare refuses to cover these medications despite them being commonly prescribed to treat pain. “When I worked in medicine, I never imagined not treating a patient. [Someone] needs something, you go get it for them. But now, being on this side, I can’t access the same health care that I worked to get,” Coffey said. As a result of her conditions, she has not been able to work and relies on small SSI disability checks that cannot possibly cover her necessities. Coffey’s rent alone increased $400 last year. “There are treatments and things that can be done, but they’re held away from me by denials from United Healthcare not allowing me to have access to treatments. I have suffered so incredibly that I was in the hospital all the time, every month.” Now Coffey is forced to borrow money and sell more of her belongings to stay alive. United Healthcare, profited $20.1 billion last year alone. Now they are refusing to cover life-saving medical treatments for a policyholder who cannot pay. “If I don’t buy the treatment, I die.” Coffey said.