Guaranteed Healthcare

Postal Worker with Stage 4 Breast Cancer Fought Insurance Company for Life-Saving Treatment for Eight Months While Cancer Spread

"I am a 57-year-old woman with stage 4 breast cancer which has metastasized to my bone in the hip area," said Margaret Murphy of Millersville, Penn. "I had 15 radiation treatments and afterward suffered a very painful fracture in the same area. In testing for the source of the pain, the doctor found more lesions of cancer below the bone."

"I spent a precious eight months of my life fighting my insurance company to approve me getting into a vaccine study for metastasized breast cancer at Johns Hopkins University Hospital, where I am being treated. I appealed and was turned down three times, before finally being approved. They stated that they didn’t cover ‘experimental’ studies or treatments. Although there are a few women who beat the odds, my doctor states I most likely have two to five years to live."

"Dr. Emens at Johns Hopkins has been conducting a highly respected vaccine trial. The vaccine is modeled after the very successful pancreatic vaccine study in which four out of eight patients have lived over eight years - which up to now was unheard of. Her study is so highly regarded that it is being heavily funded by the U.S. Department of Defense."

"Dr. Emens had spoken to my insurance company at least twice to recommend me as an ideal candidate for her study and to impress on them that they wouldn’t have to pay for anything that was study-related, such as the vaccines, testing, and treatments for any side effects that might occur. They had been told that they only needed to cover standard treatments for the cancer, which are low-dose chemotherapy."

"Most of the women in the study are doing quite well. My cancer has now spread throughout my body, and I can only wonder if all the stress I endured and all the time I lost will cost me my life.  How can one expect to beat the odds against cancer, being the killer that it is, without trying to take advantage of the newest treatments available?"

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Sponsored by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee

Eighty-two percent of Americans think the U.S. healthcare system should be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt (Commonwealth Fund, Aug. 7, 2008). America's nurses know that only single-payer, improved and expanded Medicare for all will fix our broken system and the tragedy of our devastated families. HR 676, by U.S. Rep John Conyers, is the most comprehensive, cost effective way to achieve guaranteed healthcare for all.

For more information, or to contact this patient: Liz Jacobs, RN 510/273-2232.

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