A cancer patient who was ready to fly halfway across the country for a potentially life-saving double lung transplant has said he was denied insurance coverage at the last second.
Married father of three Deron Wells, 59, said he was preparing to be moved from a Los Angeles hospital for the clinical-trial transplant in Chicago on Friday when he learned that his health care provider, Cigna, denied coverage for the procedure after initially approving it.
“It’s devastating to me,” he told ABC 7, struggling for breath.
Deron Wells, 59, was denied coverage for a double lung transplant last week. ABC7“I’m really sad that my life is in the hands of these decision-makers who seem to make these decisions in such a cold way,” he added.
Lung transplants are not a standard treatment for lung cancer, ABC 7 noted.
However, Wells’ wife, Janet Savarimuthu, said that transferring to Northwestern Medicine for the clinical trial was “the last option we have … period.”
The father of three was due to be transferred to a Chicago hospital on Friday. Deron Wells / Facebook“I hope Cigna really understands the seriousness of the situation. We’re not just a number. We are talking about his life,” she said of her husband, who is battling stage 4 lung cancer.
Cigna Healthcare defended the decision, saying: “Our coverage guidelines are grounded in national clinical standards to help ensure the best possible outcomes for patients.”
The company did not immediately respond to a request for further comment Monday.
Wells appealed Cigna’s decision not to cover the procedure. ABC7Wells has appealed the decision and is awaiting an update from the insurance company.
“I’m truly hoping that Cigna will change its tune and will have a positive outlook on this because I’m not done yet,” he said.
Wells’ friends and family have since launched a fundraiser to pay for the surgery.
