Right now, I’m sitting in a hospital room with my dad, who had open heart surgery yesterday to repair a valve. His…

Right now, I’m sitting in a hospital room with my dad, who had open heart surgery yesterday to repair a valve. His doctor walked in and said his insurance company tried to deny his care yesterday, she told them it was too late, he was already in surgery. 🧵1/12

Now tell me why an insurance company has to authorize a procedure that a doctor is saying is necessary? His doctor went to medical school, is looking at my dad’s charts and tests—she knows what to do. So why can an insurance company try to deny covering proper care? 2/12

I say it a lot because I work in progressive politics, but our healthcare system is deeply immoral. It’s through movement work that I even learned of prior authorizations. Let me explain what that is: 3/12

Prior authorization is a process that health plans use to control costs by requiring providers to get approval before performing a service for a patient. Basically, health insurance companies require doctors to run treatments by them to determine if they’re willing to pay. 4/12

Before I started working in politics, I had never heard of this practice. I cannot believe health insurance company, by plugging things into a money-maximizing algorithm, tried to deny my dad coverage for his care. My dad’s life is priceless to me and our family. 5/12

When I need help or advice, I know I can call him. He was an anti-war protester during Vietnam. He taught me to raise hell. 6/12

No healthcare company has a right to deny his care so they can report higher profits to their investors next quarter. He would’ve lost years of his life if he didn’t have the procedure yesterday. I’m not alone in feeling this way. 7/12

I helped place an op-ed for my boss that talked about UnitedHealth and the response of Americans to their CEO being killed. Ironically, it was published yesterday during his surgery. In it, @ninaturner talks about how healthcare isn’t a left-right issue. 8/12

I’ve spoken to Trump-supporting family members about it this week and they agree. Our healthcare system is hell. We need a change. Desperately. 9/12

Why am I writing this? Idk, I’m a comms staffer and I don’t know what else to do other than tell my story. I’ve heard stories from people who were actually denied care, which resulted either in mountains of debt or more health complications. 10/12

I know that the more we tell our stories, the more we talk to each other about our experiences in not just our healthcare system, but every system, the more we can come together. 11/12

If you’re looking to read the op-ed I referenced, the link is below. I’m so grateful for @ninaturner’s leadership and willingness to speak out on the experiences of the working class. 12/12 jacobin.com/2024/12/nina-t…

@ninaturner Wow! The love is unexpected! He says thank you!

@ninaturner Point of clarification: he needed a valve replaced and a double bypass for two different blocked arteries, one at 90% and one at 70%. There was really no other option than doing this surgery. He made it through surgery and is in good spirits. Thank you for all the love 💜

@ninaturner I want to use this post to ask for you to donate to Undo Medical Debt. My dad doesn’t have any, but 64 million Americans do. A $10 donation wipes out $1,000 of medical debt. unduemedicaldebt.org/?form=donate

@ninaturner Looks like we’ve reached the “this didn’t happen” stage of viral. It did, unfortunately. My dad is doing well, the doctor said what she said. Our system is terrible. Prior authorization is terrible.

@ninaturner Update thread:

Ryan Solsten@ryansolsten · Dec 14, 2024

Back at the hospital with my dad today, watching football together 💜 He’s doing well and is in good spirits. We’re all grateful for the outpouring of love and support. We’ve been please with the care he is receiving from his doctors and nurses. 1/5