Father sues Blue Cross over care for daughter on ventilator
By Wes Venteicher, Chicago Tribune | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Born with a muscular atrophy condition known as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease,
One of her biggest fears is that the ventilator's steady rhythm will stop, leaving her breathless and voiceless and dead within minutes.
Keeping skilled nurses at her side 24 hours a day costs approximately
Filed in
The doctors also cite her "severe anxiety" as a reason she could not reside in a nursing facility, where nurses would check on her but not attend her continuously.
The suit states that Stephanie was released from a hospital after treatment for respiratory failure in the summer of 2011. In each of the next two years,
But this year, the insurer denied payment again and a reviewer agreed with the decision.
"This is wrong," said
DiCara's lawsuit argues that Stephanie's
"It's not a matter of someone feeding them or bathing them," said
A spokeswoman for
The insurer has faced litigation for denying care to patients with complex medical needs before. The
This story was produced in partnership with
Twitter @wesventeicher
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