An Insurance Company Denied a Life-Saving Treatment. A Judge Just Called It An "Immoral" Decision.
( The time for Medicare for All is now. )
May 1, 2019
In a stunning court filing, U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr. made it very clear how he felt about United Healthcare.
Abigail Weinberg
When a personal injury attorney had to pay $85,000 out of pocket for a life-saving prostate cancer treatment, he filed a class-action lawsuit against his insurer, United Healthcare. On Monday, the judge assigned to hear the case recused himself: not only had he been recommended the same treatment for his own prostate cancer, but a friend of his had paid $150,000 for the treatment when United Healthcare denied him coverage.
Proton beam radiation therapy has been an accepted cancer treatment method since the 1980s, according to the Washington Post, but United Healthcare denied the treatment to Miami-based attorney Richard Cole on the grounds that it was experimental, Cole said. Although Cole was able to afford his medical care, he filed the lawsuit on behalf of the potentially thousands of others who had been denied treatment as well.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr. recused himself from the case because he felt that his personal experiences with prostate cancer prevented him from viewing the situation impartially. He wrote in his order of recusal that although he opted for surgery rather than radiation therapy, medical experts positive opinions toward radiation still resonated with him. (Coles case has been reassigned to another judge.)
Two other judges had previously recused themselves, saying they knew Cole too well to judge his case fairly.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/05/united-healthcare-immoral-barbaric/
democratisphere
(17,235 posts)and wall street completely out of the equation.
Doodley
(9,163 posts)democratisphere
(17,235 posts)The rethuglicon way.
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)Prosper
(761 posts)45,000 people a year die because they cant get health care. Now is the time to take a people stand. He can be beat on the issues as long as he is not engaged in ab attack or name calling. He has promised healthcare for all whether or not the individual can pay. By the tie the election rolls around the economy should be in some sort of a recession because of his tax cuts. Hopefully his entire feces house will have collapsed on him by then. But stay away from engaging him in attack tactics.
area51
(11,934 posts)Uncle Joe
(58,506 posts)Thanks for the thread BeckyDem.