When I chose a career in radiation oncology, I dedicated my efforts to learning all I could to help my patients, throwing myself into a rigorous medical school and residency program because I knew that the end result would allow me to help patients during some of their most vulnerable moments. I’m proud of the care I’ve provided to people like Gordon, a patient who had a metastatic lesion on his spine, which, if left untreated, can result in neurological issues, paralysis, and even death.
Treating cancer patients has taught me an important lesson: every second counts when providing life-saving medical care. This is something health insurers often overlook in cases like Gordon’s, leaving patients, their families and their doctors to fight for the care that should be provided without question.
Gordon was in pain, and he trusted me to determine the best course of action to fight his cancer. We had a plan until the insurance company got in the way. They didn’t care that Gordon needed help immediately. They left him in pain and at risk of paralysis for weeks until the pain became so bad he had to be hospitalized while they decided whether or not he should get the treatment I, his doctor, ordered. Gordon suffered needlessly — weakened and nearing paralysis — while the health insurer postponed care repeatedly.
When an insurance company delays or denies patient care, it’s more than frustrating: it can be the difference between life and death, especially for critically-ill cancer patients. Insurance companies shouldn’t have that kind of power, but sadly, stories like Gordon’s are far too common.
Now, I’m fighting for change. Treatment should be determined by patients and doctors, not insurance companies, because at the end of the day, their priority is profit, not patient care. And often times — like in this case — the delays lead to more expensive care. People like Gordon deserve better. We all deserve better.
This is why I support proposed legislation like Oklahoma House Bill 2144, the Insurance Consumers Protection Act, which would hold insurance companies accountable by allowing legal action against insurance companies that unreasonably delay or deny care.
For too long, insurance companies have toyed with patients and physicians, forcing us to contend with red tape and headaches rooted in profit margins rather than medical expertise. What’s worse: many of these recent denials have been determined by artificial intelligence rather than a human, much less a doctor.
Until now, fighting with insurance companies has been a lost cause. Legal protections currently in place have allowed these companies to take advantage of the vulnerable customers they claim to cover without clear consumer protections that could ensure proper recourse. This new bill, however, would give power back to patients, allowing individuals to take insurance companies to court, where a jury could determine if they acted in bad faith.
It’s a step in the right direction for helping to restore some trust in a broken health care system.
I hope you’ll join me in reaching out to lawmakers to express your support for this ground breaking bill. Let’s put health care back in the hands of doctors and patients, not the insurance companies looking to make shareholders happy.
Diane Heaton, M.D., is a board-certified radiation oncologist and serves as the medical director of the Northeastern Oklahoma Cancer Institute in Claremore and Oklahoma Cyberknife in Tulsa. She is the immediate past president of the Oklahoma State Medical Association.
