Stacie Ritter, the mother of twin girls who were diagnosed with cancer at four years of age, has been fighting against health insurance giant CIGNA for treatment for her daughters since April 2008. CIGNA has twice denied the girls coverage for critical growth hormone therapy.
The therapy was prescribed by their endocrinologist and approved by their previous health insurance provider. Prior to April 2008, the Ritters were insured by Aetna until the girls’ father’s employer switched to CIGNA. Even under Aetna, medical bills had driven them to bankruptcy.
Insurance companies like CIGNA take in workers’ money while working to constantly deny them health care when needed. In July 2009, CIGNA reported second-quarter profits of $435 billion.
Stacie Ritter has joined with thousands of people across the country who have protested against the health care industry’s grip on health care. Her family’s struggle for health care is among the many dire examples of why we need a single-payer system.
