Posted on 11/22/2013 6:22:56 PM PST by moonshinner_09
GAINESVILLE, TEXAS -- A Gainesville family is fighting for their childrens' lives.
Ronald and Krista Alford's two children, Hunter and Mikayla, were born with extremely rare types of cancer.
Now, sven years into fighting that battle, they've been hit with a new one: their children's insurance has been cancelled, affecting Hunter's chemotherapy.
News 12's Allison Harris brings us their story of struggle and strength.
Hunter Alford is due for his next round of chemo.
As of right now, his mom Krista says, he's unlikely to get it.
"Since his insurance was dropped, we're thinking about cancelling his chemotherapy," Krista Alford said.
The 7-year-old, who loves playing games on his iPad, is reportedly the youngest person to have his type of cancer.
Hunter has Plexiform Hishocyne Neoplasm.
The Alford's are in a battle with children's medicaid -- or CHIP -- Hunter's insurance.
Krista says, despite receiving a new, renewed insurance card, the agency told her they dropped his insurance.
"I called them and they said we were dropped October 31st," Krista said.
Krista says an insurance agent told her that Hunter's information got lost when they made changes under the new Affordable Care Act.
Now, Krista is on a mission to re-gain that insurance, but they're running out of time before his next chemo treatment, and the agent says they can't expedite.
"The lady's like, the only way we can expedite is if your son was pregnant and in labor, or if he was an illegal," Krista said.
Hunter's chemo would cost $50,000 without insurance.
(Excerpt) Read more at kxii.com ...
first of all let’s look into why a few ounces of chemicals injected into a child would cost anyone $50,000 dollars....that entire concept is asinine.....but because insurance companies have paid it over the years, it has become the norm......I would bet a whole lot of money that there isn’t more than $100 dollars worth of product involved and other than the salaries of the doctor and nurses and the hospital room, $50,000 is an outrageous amount of money to be charged for a somewhat routine proceedure...
If he was an illegal?! Are they flipping KIDDING???
“...$50,000 is an outrageous amount of money to be charged for a somewhat routine proceedure...”
I think you’ve failed to consider the costs for years of testing, trial and error, and huge amounts of money to get those chemicals in their chemotherapeutic form cleared thru FDA for use in humans. Also, there’s massive product liability insurance premiums for the manufacturer.
The article fails to state over what period of time the $50K cost is accrued, or how frequently the child requires chemo. Is it $50K/year? The child’s lifetime? We simply don’t know.
A lot went into finding the exact formula that works to keep this child and other cancer patients alive. And those patients and their families would likely tell you it’s worth every last penny.
I will try to get a link to this to Sen. Cruz. I am a total outsider to this family, but he is my Senator.
“Since his insurance was dropped, we’re thinking about cancelling his chemotherapy,”
Ah no....you continue to give him the treatments and let the bills pile up if you have to. You don’t quit the treatments.
I’m also curious what kind of cancer are you “born with”....and why that is? Will check the article further...might explain.
Not really....12 yrs. ago a family member was paying $500. per treatment session for Cancer...once a week for three months and not near as serious as this case seems to be. The medication, one pill daily to keep them from vomiting, was $1,500 a month.
So I can believe in this case the costs would be that today.
And mental illness and drug addiction!
I just sent this to Sen. Cruz via his website:
Dear Senator Cruz,
I am writing to pass on a story that touches my heart and needs a champion like you to get the message out and to use your influence to help make a difference in some children’s lives.
Now, I do not know this family personally, but reading their story touched my heart and we Texans stand with each other, so I thought I might help by raising it to your attention.
The Alford family of Gainsville Texas have two young kids with a rare form of cancer. With all the turmoil Obamacare is causing in the marketplace, their coverage was dropped.
They are now in a life and death struggle to get things fixed in an overwhelmed healthcare system thrown into chaos by the moving target that Obamacare has become to meet the political ends of the Democrat Party.
Here is a link to their story:
I am sure that anything you could do to assist them would mean the world to this family.
God bless you and keep up the good fight for us Texans, and the rest of this Nation.
Thank you for your time in this matter,
Increasingly, the provider will withhold treatment without proof of ability to pay and will sometimes demand payment up front.
Also, I don't understand what kind of "agency" or insurance agent is involved in Medicaid. Is this some kind of weird Texas thing? I have dealt with foster children who were dropped in error before and it was a matter of going to the state office and correcting the situation -- 30 minutes effort and insurance recommenced on first day of next month.
Some of the newer chemo drugs are $13,000/month, I know that.
That wouldn’t surprise. And I may be about to find out.
But I think the earlier poster just didn’t factor all that goes into bringing the chemicals as an effective drug to the marketplace. I.e., how much metal/rubber, etc. is in a Ferrari? Couple hundred bucks?
And the Dems would complain about Republicans “killing” various classes of citizens.
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I failed to conssider nothing...tort reform has been on the agenda for years and nothing gets done....Pathetic...I have a son in the business and the overcharge for some of the products would boggle your mind....thousands of percent increase....other than for my son's commission, PATHETIC...
that doesn't justify the price then nor now...the asinine markup in the medical field has no defense, other than tort reform....if the treatment doesn't work, you should not be able to sue for millions...
Any update on the family in this story?
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