Latest news with #DeronWells
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Man Fighting Cancer Now Battling Insurance Company After Life-Saving Transplant Denied
Imagine this: You're suffering from stage 4 lung cancer at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center. You hear about clinical trial double lung transplant at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, and your insurance company, Cigna, approves procedures to have you transferred there and undergo the life-saving transplant. And on your way there everything comes to a screeching halt, after Cigna denies coverage at the 11th hour. That's exactly what happened to 59-year-old Deron Wells. According to ABC 7, Wells was on his way to Illinois before coverage was denied, despite prior approvals. The husband and father of three has appealed the decisions. As he waits, his life hangs in the balance. "I am really sad that my life is in the hands of these decision-makers who seem to make these decisions in such a cold way," he said. Wells' wife, Janet Savarimuthu, hopes Cigna comes to its senses. "The last option we have is for us to take him to Northwestern, period," she said. "I hope Cigna really understands the seriousness of the situation. We're not just a number. We are talking about his life."The once healthy and active father had been approved for the clinical trial by both UCLA Medical Center and Northwestern Memorial, which announced its breakthrough clinical program for people with stage 4 lung cancer back in September 2022. Chicagos' Albert Khoury in September 2021 became the first person at the age of 54 to undergo a lung transplant after chemotherapy treatments failed. "But despite these clear medical approvals, Cigna, his health insurance provider, is refusing to authorize the transplant and the emergency medical transport needed to get him to Chicago," a friend writes in a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to get Wells to Chicago if Cigna doesn't reverse course. "Without immediate intervention, Deron may not survive." A Cigna spokesperson told ABC 7, "Our coverage guidelines are grounded in national clinical standards to help ensure the best possible outcomes for patients."
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Cigna denies life-saving operation to man battling stage 4 cancer
A man fighting for his life as he battles stage 4 cancer is asking for donations after his health insurance denied him a life-saving lung transplant. Deron Wells, 59, is battling advanced lung cancer and his doctors have approved him for a double transplant, a procedure that his loved ones have described as his 'only path to survival.' However, Cigna Healthcare, his health insurer, has refused to authorize the transplant and the emergency medical transport needed to get him to the hospital for the operation. He needs to be transferred to Chicago's Northwestern Memorial Hospital for the operation. Wells was preparing to be moved from UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center on Friday, but Cigna denied coverage for the procedure and the transfer, ABC7 reported. "I am really sad that my life is in the hands of these decision-makers who seem to make these decisions in such a cold way," Wells told the outlet. The father and husband may not survive without immediate intervention, his family says. "The last option we have is for us to take him to Northwestern, period. I hope Cigna really understands the seriousness of the situation. We're not just a number. We are talking about his life," Janet Savarimuthu, his wife, told the outlet. The Independent has reached out to Cigna for comment. The insurer told ABC7 in a statement: "Our coverage guidelines are grounded in national clinical standards to help ensure the best possible outcomes for patients.' Cigna has a 21 percent claim denial rate, according to Value Penguin. The GoFundMe page has garnered $41,000 as of Friday afternoon. The organizer, his friend Scott Kern, is hoping to raise $1.5 million to cover the costs of the procedure, the emergency air transport, post-surgery recovery, and temporary relocation for his family. "Deron deserves this chance that we're fighting so hard to make sure that he gets," Kern told the outlet. Wells is pleading for the insurer to change course since he has much more to live for, telling the outlet: "I'm truly hoping that Cigna will change its tune and will have a positive outlook on this because I'm not done yet.'
The Independent
09-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Cigna denies life-saving operation to man battling stage 4 cancer
A man fighting for his life as he battles stage 4 cancer is asking for donations after his health insurance denied him a life-saving lung transplant. Deron Wells, 59, is battling advanced lung cancer and his doctors have approved him for a double transplant, a procedure that his loved ones have described as his 'only path to survival.' However, Cigna Healthcare, his health insurer, has refused to authorize the transplant and the emergency medical transport needed to get him to the hospital for the operation. He needs to be transferred to Chicago's Northwestern Memorial Hospital for the operation. Wells was preparing to be moved from UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center on Friday, but Cigna denied coverage for the procedure and the transfer, ABC7 reported. "I am really sad that my life is in the hands of these decision-makers who seem to make these decisions in such a cold way," Wells told the outlet. The father and husband may not survive without immediate intervention, his family says. "The last option we have is for us to take him to Northwestern, period. I hope Cigna really understands the seriousness of the situation. We're not just a number. We are talking about his life," Janet Savarimuthu, his wife, told the outlet. The Independent has reached out to Cigna for comment. The insurer told ABC7 in a statement: "Our coverage guidelines are grounded in national clinical standards to help ensure the best possible outcomes for patients.' Cigna has a 21 percent claim denial rate, according to Value Penguin. The GoFundMe page has garnered $41,000 as of Friday afternoon. The organizer, his friend Scott Kern, is hoping to raise $1.5 million to cover the costs of the procedure, the emergency air transport, post-surgery recovery, and temporary relocation for his family. "Deron deserves this chance that we're fighting so hard to make sure that he gets," Kern told the outlet. Wells is pleading for the insurer to change course since he has much more to live for, telling the outlet: "I'm truly hoping that Cigna will change its tune and will have a positive outlook on this because I'm not done yet.'
