Guaranteed Healthcare

April 17, 2003 my mother was misdiagnosed in a hospital in Denver. 48 hours later, I was paged at the hospital that I worked at by her physician to bring her into the office immediately. He told me she had agranulocytic myleocytic leukemia. She needs to be in a hospital. I told him she was just discharged and he said, "I know, I'm looking at her labs from the hospital. You need to bring her in now." We went in and the next day we went to an Oncologist that her PCP referred us too.

While doing all of this I had been on the phone with my Mother's boss letting her know what was happening. Her boss was truly trying to help. That evening we had major decisions to make. Little did I know how major when we got home at 5:30pm. By 6pm I had received a call from my Mother's boss telling me that her insurance company had dropped her April 18, 2003, the day after she was discharged. I made the decision not to tell her. By 8pm my Mother began having SOB and CP. I took her to my hospital thinking she would get the best care. One I work there and two, I know the nurses. by 12:30am we knew she was in a 100 percent blast crisis and the ED Doctor came in and told me, "this is an outpatient cancer thing, you have to deal with it there, we're not going to admit her, we don't admit through the ED." I know better, I was the hospital STAT RN. Her wbc was 98,000, BP 90/50, O2 sat 88% RA. Her breathing was labored and she was in pain. She was not sent home with O2. Just sent home. I called the house manager and told him that I thought they were not taking her because of her insurance, he tried to help but couldn't. By 2am I had my Mother admitted to another hospital, (EMTALA? violation here?) by the Oncologist who stated that he would accept her earlier in the day.

At 5am I came out to my home 50 miles from my Mother and there were 5 messages from 5 different Drs at the hospital that turned her away pleading with me to bring her back and they would admit her through the ED. This was just the beginning of 6 months of insurance and healthcare HELL. My Mother was in hospital for 30 days. There were several times I, her daughter, did the nursing duties because the RN's couldn't or the Dr that was on call wouldn't order something. I stayed with her from 7pm to 10:30 am, then I went across town to go to work. She made it through induction therapy and we started the outside therapy. She was to receive chemo at the office once per week, at home daily and she didn't receive ANY help from any insurance. I gave her the chemo, because they wouldn't send a Nurse that "far" from Denver. Why? Because they don't make any money. Half way through her treatment her Oncologist office called us in before she received a chemo treatment.

We were told that her insurance was not paying and we had to pay or make payments to pay before they would continue treatment. ARE YOU KIDDING ME! I was forced to sign a piece of paper so my Mother could continue to receive care! What was I suppose to do say, "Mom, I'm sorry I'm a nurse in Colorado, I can't afford your care, we have to stop?" The "care" continued until she went in remission. I thought I had my best friend back. I didn't. She died Nov. 8, 2003. Two days later I got a call from the Oncologist office asking for payment. Not I'm sorry your mother died, "we need payment". I became enraged and told them to sue me. They did, I answered and counter-sued and they lost. The truth is, my mother was the one that lost. Not her life. She lost the faith she had in this country. The same country that her husband of 40 year's fought for in Normandy in WWII. She worked all her life, gave me and my brother a life we would not have otherwise had, paid her taxes and when she needed assistance and care, she was DENIED AND DROPPED, DISCARDED. This and worse is happening to Americans all over the country. It's time we stop the continued abuse of America's patients! I thought we had laws in this country against abuse...apparently they don't apply. Thank you for your time and efforts and I will be right there to help stop the abuse. MIK (Laura Mikkelsen Colorado RN)