Another Argument in Favor of Universal Health Care

A Northridge, California teenager awaiting a liver transplant died on December 20, 2007 after she was pulled off of life support. Nataline Sarkisian died at about 6 p.m. at University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center. She had been in a vegetative state for weeks and was being kept alive by life support machines, according to her mother, Hilda. "She passed away, and the CIGNA insurance company is responsible for this," she said. "They took my daughter away from me," said Nataline's father, Krikor, who appeared at a news conference the day after her death along with his 21-year-old son, Bedros. Mark Geragos, a California attorney best known for defending Scott Peterson, 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 announced at a press conference on Friday, December 21st.

Nataline had been battling leukemia and received a bone marrow transplant from her brother. She developed a complication, however, that caused her liver to fail. Doctors at UCLA determined she needed a transplant and sent a letter to CIGNA Healthcare on December 11, 2007. The Philadelphia-based health insurance company denied payment for the transplant. On December 20th (the day Nataline died), about 150 teenagers and nurses protested outside CIGNA's office in Glendale. As the protesters rallied, the company reversed its decision and said it would approve the transplant after all. 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. "Our hearts go out to Nataline and her family, as they endure this terrible ordeal," the company said. " ... 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."