Benjamin French is a normal 12-year-old who was born without his right arm below his elbow. As of today, French's insurance company has said he is ineligible for further coverage of prosthetic devices because he has reached his lifetime maximum benefit.
In his 12 years, French has been through seven prosthesis fittings with the last one costing $30,000. His family happens to live in Michigan which is one of the 33 states where insurance companies are allowed to set annual and lifetime caps on prosthetic coverage. In states such as Colorado and Maryland, the law says there can be no caps on prosthetics.
"It seems really unfair," said Benjamin's mother, Kristen French. "The insurance company can do this in one state, but not in another? It's ridiculous."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/16/insurance-runs-out-for-12_n_359920.html
I wonder how health care professionals can ethically charge 30,000 dollars for such a thing.
ReplyDeleteThat is so sad. It does seem weird though that insurance companys can reach a lifetime cap on prosthetic coverage in one state, and not in another. Maybe the families best choice is to move to Colorado or Maryland?
ReplyDeleteIt just goes to show how medical care is just a business now. All they care about it numbers. Just imagine what will happen if the universal health care coverage gets through? There will be boards that decide who gets care and who doesn't. I know I don't want the government in charge of my health care, they have a hard enough time getting me license plates!
ReplyDeleteJustin,
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've read, it's not universal health care. It's a public option they want to implement. They want to have that option for people so that it will help bring overall costs down. If the public option is lower cost, the private insurers will eventually have to bring their costs down as well -to compete.
Grade: 10/10
ReplyDelete* That insurance company ought to be ashamed of itself!