Insured to Lose: When Fraud Gets Handcuffed

The insurance companies love to remind us they're "here when you need us." Turns out that doesn't apply if you're a hospital fighting for breast cancer patients.

This ProPublica story hits a nerve. Blue Cross Blue Shield Louisiana approved mastectomies and reconstructions for women with breast cancer. They gave the green light, then ghosted the hospital when it came time to pay up. You know, after the life-saving work was done.

The Breast Center of New Orleans took them to court. And they won. Big. $421 million big. One of the largest fraud verdicts ever handed down against an insurer by a single medical practice.

For those keeping score at home: insurance says yes, patients get treated, insurance doesn't pay. Business as usual. Except this time, the hospital fought back. And a jury said, enough.

As someone who's been orbiting the cancer industrial complex for 30 years, I've seen this script before. Denials, delays, loopholes. They bank on us being too sick, too tired, too broke to fight back. But what happens when we do?

What happens when your doctor can't afford to keep fighting for you because the system makes it impossible? This isn't just about one hospital. It's about whether care gets delivered at all.

The healthcare industry doesn't need another think tank. It needs accountability.

So, what would you do if your insurer approved your care but left your doctor holding the bag? How long until the doors close for good?

SOURCE:: https://www.propublica.org/article/blue-cross-blue-shield-louisiana-insurance-lawsuit-breast-cancer-doctors