Armenak Posted December 22, 2007 Report Share Posted December 22, 2007 Leukemia patient dies at 17 Family may pursue manslaughter or murder charges against Cigna for delaying transplant. http://static.crooksandliars.com/2007/12/cigna-transplant.jpg By Ryan Vaillancourt LOS ANGELES — Attorneys for the family of 17-year-old Northridge resident Nataline Sarkisyan, who died Thursday hours after Cigna HealthCare reversed a decision to deny coverage for a potentially life-saving liver transplant, said Friday they will seek murder or manslaughter charges against the Philadelphia-based insurance provider. Nataline's parents and only brother were joined by some 150 supporters in Glendale on Thursday to demonstrate at Cigna's office on North Brand Boulevard, and urged the company to reverse a decision to deny coverage for a liver transplant recommended by Nataline's doctors at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital. Supporters credited the rally as what sparked a change in heart for the company, which put out a statement less than an hour after the event announcing its decision to cover Nataline's surgery if doctors could proceed with the operation. But Nataline, a leukemia patient who was besieged by a lung infection while on life support, took a turn for the worse Thursday night and the family took her off life support at about 5:15 p.m. Thursday, said Mark Geragos, the attorney planning to present a murder or manslaughter case to the Los Angeles district attorney. She died at 5:50. The Sarkisyan family blamed Cigna for Nataline's death, which they said could have been averted if doctors had been able to proceed with a liver transplant. Doctors first sought coverage from Nataline's family's insurance provider on Dec. 10 for the transplant, but the coverage was denied. Nataline, who has suffered from recurrent leukemia since age 14, received a bone-marrow transplant from her brother on Nov. 21. But complications tied to the surgery and ensuing chemotherapy caused her to develop veno-occlusive disease, a condition that shut down her kidneys and liver, Hilda Sarkisyan said. Doctors immediately sought approval from Cigna to perform the liver transplant, a procedure they describe in a Dec. 11 letter to the insurance company as having a six-month survival rate of 65% in similar medical scenarios. The company denied coverage, twice, calling the procedure "experimental, investigational and unproven." http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2007/12/21/PH2007122101494.jpg During the 10-day period between when doctors first sought to operate and the company's decision Thursday to provide coverage, Nataline developed a lung infection that would have had to subside before doctors could proceed with a transplant. The company's statement on Thursday defended the initial decision to deny coverage and called their reversal a rare exception. "Based on the unique circumstances of this situation, and although it is outside the scope of the plan's coverage and despite the lack of medical evidence regarding the effectiveness of such treatment, Cigna HealthCare has decided to make an exception in this rare and unusual case and we will provide coverage should she proceed with the requested liver transplant," the statement said. Nataline's liver-attacking disease, combined with her respiratory and kidney failure after the bone-marrow transplant, "is associated with an extraordinarily high mortality rate regardless of intervention and would be expected to substantially negatively impact the successful completion and/or outcome of transplant surgery," Cigna officials said in a Dec. 10 memo to Nataline's doctors on behalf of the company's medical director, Stephen Crawford. The company's delay amounted to criminal behavior, enacted in order to save money, Geragos said. "It's not only callous, it's not only conscious disregard for life, I believe it's also criminal," he said. Nataline's brother, Bedig Sarkisyan, 21, said the surgery would have cost $300,000. Cigna did not return calls seeking comment. http://glendalenewspress.com/articles/2007...-nataline22.txt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted December 22, 2007 Report Share Posted December 22, 2007 Tsavali e Astvats Hogin Lusavori Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpa Posted December 22, 2007 Report Share Posted December 22, 2007 (edited) Tsavali e Astvats Hogin Lusavori Ayo, Shat tsavali. Astvats nera matghash yev sourb hogin lousavoreh. Anoushik aghchik, amen tsnoghi srti patar. Yev sa patahi Ameriakyoum ortegh, ayspes kochvats dramatirakan/capitalist drouyt@ chapeh madou kyanq@ loumanerov yev $$$$ nerov. Tes the sa depq@ inch aghmouk e bardzratsel. CNN- el khosi ays niuti masin amen mi ropeh. Btw. That MSNBC anchor Chris is from our village when her name was Chris Kapostascy. Yes! Mark, sue their vartiks off!! I will post the text below since, in time the broadcast will be taken off the air. === http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22357873/ MSNBC.com Family sues insurer who denied teen transplant 17-year-old girl died hours after Cigna finally agreed to pay for new liver The Associated Press updated 6:00 p.m. ET, Fri., Dec. 21, 2007 GLENDALE, Calif. - The family of a 17-year-old girl who died hours after her health insurer reversed a decision and said it would pay for a liver transplant plans to sue the company, their attorney said Friday. Nataline Sarkisyan died Thursday at about 6 p.m. at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center. She had been in a vegetative state for weeks, said her mother, Hilda. Attorney Mark Geragos said he plans to ask the district attorney to press murder or manslaughter charges against Cigna HealthCare in the case. The insurer “maliciously killed her” because it did not want to bear the expense of her transplant and aftercare, Geragos said. District Attorney spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons declined to comment on the request for murder or manslaughter charges, saying it would be inappropriate to do so until Geragos submits evidence supporting his request. The family’s “loss is immeasurable, and our thoughts and prayers are with them,” Cigna said in a news release Friday. “We deeply hope that the outpouring of concern, care and love that are being expressed for Nataline’s family help them at this time,” the company said. Nataline had been battling leukemia and received a bone marrow transplant from her brother. She developed a complication that caused her liver to fail. Doctors at UCLA determined she needed a transplant and sent a letter to Cigna Corp.’s Cigna HealthCare on Dec. 11. The Philadelphia-based health insurance company denied payment for the transplant, saying the procedure was experimental and outside the scope of coverage. The insurer reversed the decision Thursday as about 150 teenagers and nurses rallied outside of its office. But Nataline died hours later. “They took my daughter away from me,” said Nataline’s father, Krikor, who appeared at the news conference with his 21-year-old son, Bedros. Despite the reversal, Cigna said in an e-mail statement before she died that there was a lack of medical evidence showing the procedure would work in Nataline’s case. “Cigna HealthCare has decided to make an exception in this rare and unusual case and we will provide coverage should she proceed with the requested liver transplant,” that statement read. In their letter, the UCLA doctors said patients in situations similar to Nataline’s who undergo transplants have a six-month survival rate of about 65 percent. One of the doctors, Robert Venick, declined to comment on the case Friday. Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22357873/ MSN Privacy . Legal© 2007 MSNBC.com Edited December 22, 2007 by Arpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maral Posted December 22, 2007 Report Share Posted December 22, 2007 Tsavali e Astvats Hogin Lusavori poor poor baby...I saw the story all day on TV yesterday,I don't know anything about the transplant,but my heart breaks for the family. Another board I visit was discussing her death,and they said they were disgusted by what happened,by Health insurance companies and that we should all see the movie sicko to see how twisted these health issues are. I can't get her face out of my mind,poor poor baby.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted December 22, 2007 Report Share Posted December 22, 2007 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbf6W tatement from Nataline Sarkisyan's mother, Hilda Sarkisyan: "We have a war here...They're the ones who caused this. They're the one that told us to go there, and they would pay for the transplant." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted December 22, 2007 Report Share Posted December 22, 2007 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLOaqIVYYT4 Cigna HealthCare CEO's determined that by reducing individual human services it would increase corporate profits therefore justifying Murder. Cigna HealthCare Corp. a Philadelphia based insurance company charged with the Murder of a 17 year old Beautiful Armenian girl. Nataline Sarkisyan died at 5:50 PM Thursday, December 20, 2007 Privatization for Profit... aren't you afraid knowing that a CEO can consider his/her personal wealth over your personal health and safety in the medical and aerospace industries. UCLA Medical Center Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA California Nurses Association National Nurses Organizing Committee Council of Presidents District Attorney Steve Cooley Mark John Geragos Rose Ann DeMoro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted December 22, 2007 Report Share Posted December 22, 2007 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Xanh95FXnA&NR Death by spreadsheet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted December 22, 2007 Report Share Posted December 22, 2007 Teen's death sparks outrage at CIGNA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiDKPwEe4oI&NR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted December 22, 2007 Report Share Posted December 22, 2007 Family Presses for Cigna to be Charged With Murder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ED Posted December 22, 2007 Report Share Posted December 22, 2007 those cigna people must of known approval is just a BS public relations move, i would be very surprised if cigna is not charged with some kind of criminal activity. business and corporate profits......even on human life, be or not to be, mother f$%&&*(()))__++ I cant get over this, what a beautiful child, breaks my heart:( hreashtaki pes acher uner, rest in peace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DominO123 Posted December 22, 2007 Report Share Posted December 22, 2007 Doctors immediately sought approval from Cigna to perform the liver transplant, a procedure they describe in a Dec. 11 letter to the insurance company as having a six-month survival rate of 65% in similar medical scenarios. http://glendalenewspress.com/articles/2007...-nataline22.txt Six-month survival rate of 65% is huge due to her condition, I'm surprised the insurance compagny refused, a liver transplant for a liver failure is far from being experimental no matter what the initial reason is. But there is no information as to why she died, did she die from her liver failure, if so it is a win situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DominO123 Posted December 22, 2007 Report Share Posted December 22, 2007 those cigna people must of known approval is just a BS public relations move, i would be very surprised if cigna is not charged with some kind of criminal activity. business and corporate profits......even on human life, be or not to be, mother f$%&&*(()))__++ I cant get over this, what a beautiful child, breaks my heart:( hreashtaki pes acher uner, rest in peace Insurance compagnies standards are set according to the expected profits, this should be obvious. Sometimes it is not as simple, if a treatment will give a six month survival rate of 10% insteed of a 5%, it will be refused, because the person will have 90% chance of dying in the comming six months. Also, we don't know still if her death is related to the liver failure, and probably the insurance compagny will do everything to leave doubt that it may not have been the liver. But it will be hard for them, given that they should not have refused for a six month 65% survival rate in the first place, it's huge considering the condition she was in. What makes it worst is that the type of cancer she has, and given that she recieved marrow transplant, she was already on immune modulators so there should not have been the need to put her in a more heavy treatment because of the transplant. (other then the antibiotics) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DominO123 Posted December 22, 2007 Report Share Posted December 22, 2007 poor poor baby...I saw the story all day on TV yesterday,I don't know anything about the transplant,but my heart breaks for the family. Another board I visit was discussing her death,and they said they were disgusted by what happened,by Health insurance companies and that we should all see the movie sicko to see how twisted these health issues are. I can't get her face out of my mind,poor poor baby.... No one deserve to die this way. Cancer should be eradicated and this is why we must support research to get rid of this crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ani Posted December 22, 2007 Report Share Posted December 22, 2007 Es inch kextot asxarhum enq aprum... Qani gnuma aveli em zzvum... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-47 Posted December 22, 2007 Report Share Posted December 22, 2007 Another victim of the failed US healthcare system. Maybe it's time for these greedy arseholes to start saving lives instead of causing deaths. The United States needs to follow the example of its northern friendly neighbour, or its southern blockaded one, or maybe its old colonialist chap, or maybe even the namesake of french fri...i mean freedom fries Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DominO123 Posted December 22, 2007 Report Share Posted December 22, 2007 Another victim of the failed US healthcare system. Maybe it's time for these greedy arseholes to start saving lives instead of causing deaths. The United States needs to follow the example of its northern friendly neighbour, or its southern blockaded one, or maybe its old colonialist chap, or maybe even the namesake of french fri...i mean freedom fries Our healthcare system isen't perfect, far from it. Many hospitals will probably not even propose the liver transplant with the debts they are in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ED Posted December 23, 2007 Report Share Posted December 23, 2007 (edited) what i don't understand is her parents jump into the civil and criminal law sue so early, for gods sake she is not burred yet. this is just a bigining of the frenzy. asi mi qani rope achq pakem, quns chtarav achik dematsna Edited December 23, 2007 by Edward Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armenak Posted December 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2007 AK-47, did you know she was a member of the AYF? The Glendale chapter, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-47 Posted December 23, 2007 Report Share Posted December 23, 2007 (edited) Our healthcare system isen't perfect, far from it. Many hospitals will probably not even propose the liver transplant with the debts they are in. True its not perfect but I don't know man, I still think our system is better than theirs, especially after watching a certain documentary by Michael Moore. Not everyone can afford the ridiculous amounts in the USA... Edited December 23, 2007 by AK-47 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-47 Posted December 23, 2007 Report Share Posted December 23, 2007 AK-47, did you know she was a member of the AYF? The Glendale chapter, I think. Kideyir iren? Too bad man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted December 23, 2007 Report Share Posted December 23, 2007 2 years a go i have been in a similar situation, admitted to one hospital then transferred to one other since my insurance would only let me go to one other, was it critical YEs, could of I lost my life YES, it took them over 10 days to authorise the surgery even after i was admitted to the hospital that was appointed by our insurance CO. What i have seen in 30 days at the hospitals it's unbelievable.... an older lady 90 or so years old approached my wife and asked to translate to the nurse that her husband is hungry, for them to give some food for him, so my wife w/ her fluent English approaches one of the nurses and tells her, the young nurse was at first quiet, then said OK, only after the older lady left the nurses approached me and my wife and explained that the doctor have told her to gave nothing, soon after the nurse left the older lady came over, Ani tells her: Mayrig jan do to the surgery he can't have any food, then the lady started crying, start telling that her husband was left to die, that she has no one no kids, that she and her husband survived the Genocide and Turks could not kill them now in a christian country a christian nurse would not gave her husband food, all of the "I-V"s have been disconnected, that the man has no more life in him, she asked me to do my duty as an Armenian and tell the hospital to gave food to him, me and Ani looking at each other, what do we tell her, i could not say a word, not that i could talk do to my condition... i was covering my face behind my hands, trying to hold back my tears, i could not walk a way!!! was welling to help her, she was my Armenian my survivor my Mayrig, but i could not talk, not even wispier a word... she left , my wife asked for the Head nurse, Head nurse came over and explain to us that the man is in vegetative state, that he had 3 surgeries in less then 10 days, that she can't give any food and the doctor is the one who told her to disconnect the "I-V", the man was to expire on his own, that the old lady should get hold of her relatives and contact the doctor... we asked the nurse to please help and gave the man some food or conect a IV back to him.... nurse could not do anything..... i could not talk, we could not talk, we could not tell the MAyrig that he has going to die.... we told her that a relative of the man need's to talk to the doctor, that the doctor will explain whats going on ..... she left w/ gave up hopes.. soon after some relatives came over then the doctor who was also an Armenian... i was asking my self if the hospital was doing the right think, if he was not to live why take the gallbladder out ? thna quadruple bypass, then skin cancer .....?? Way torture him more? to charge the insurance more, why put someone through this ordill ... i guess the Doctor and the hospital have milked the insurance enough ... no more $ was left for them to make of the 90+ yer old man...... but at the same time i realize that if the old man was in Armenia in our own country he would of died at home, might not even get a paine killer to ease his pine... her voice is still in my ear / @se togh qichm@ udeliq dan Garabed@s anoti e, al uj chune.... Yavrum Pan m@ @erre ... Hye ches m@ Axxxx Dle Yamannnn.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoComment Posted December 23, 2007 Report Share Posted December 23, 2007 thank you for this topic, hard to stay heartless, may he rest in peace for ever with his wife I´m living far away from my parents, and I hope to be present ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Em Posted December 23, 2007 Report Share Posted December 23, 2007 Axxx Movses jan, esor kichey lacel, mi nor arit yeghav lacelu.... teghyak chey et axchka mahvan masin... Astvats irents hasni... es darr@ yekogh orerin xarrnvel litigationi mojov hesht chi linelu.... bayc te es depqum petq e.... (story resembles Grisham's Rainmaker...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashot Posted December 23, 2007 Report Share Posted December 23, 2007 For the past 1 month I have been traveling back and forth through Arizona and California, what I have noticed is, Arizona is the type of the place that I have seen California about 13 years ago. California now is worse then Mexico, no control of anything whatsoever. It has become THE worst state, people in it are going crazy, wirld, and stupid, and to add on top of it all it's not just California that has crumbled it's all the 50 states. Ahavor vata drutyune AMN-um, kamants kamats darnume anhenarin aprel yev normal entaneakan paymanner stextsel aystegh. Heghapoxutyan sherjanneren... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVO Posted December 23, 2007 Report Share Posted December 23, 2007 Katie Melua - I Cried for you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftZAZWLrWKo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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