Infant's life-saving surgery is OK'd by providers

[kas125]

Source: Gary Post-Tribune


The Petreikis family has received a Christmas miracle a few weeks early.

Their 41/2-month-old son, Seth, who needs a potentially life-saving surgery, on Friday received approval from MDWise, his state Medicaid provider, to cover the procedure to rebuild his immune system with a new thymus.

Coverage had previously been denied because it was deemed "experimental."

"I got the call and when I heard her say it was approved, I just fell down on the floor crying," said his mother Becky Petreikis, a Dyer resident. She called her husband, Tim, who was driving home from his job in Chicago, and shared the news with their 3-year-old daughter, Julia.





Read more: http://www.post-trib.com/news/2959612,new-sethappeal1209.article

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This is the Indiana infant who was in the news two days ago because his surgery was denied. Here's the old thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4651494

I think all our phone calls and emails helped.

[Angry Dragon]

1. Why does it take pressure to make some people do the right thing??

A hostile and foreign world we live in

[kas125]

3. It's just infuriating that they'd even think of denying a life

saving operation to an infant. This family lives only a few miles from me and people here have been very upset about it. I am so relieved that they finally did the right thing, but I'm still pissed that it takes being shamed in public for them to do so.

[Angry Dragon]

5. How many will not be so lucky??

Death Panels brought to you by the republicans, palin, brewer

[kas125]

8. This is Indiana - we have our own Republican death panel.

That death panel which not only kills people, is killing Lake Michigan and has already killed most of our environmental regulations as well as selling off our roads to foreign countries, is called Governor Mitch Daniels.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. GREAT news!

[old mark]

4. The company responded to the bad publicity -a threat to their cash flow.

That is all they are concerned about.

I'm very glad so many people came out publicly in support of this family; that is the only thing that made the difference.

mark

[AllyCat]

7. We have to remember that all these corporations care about is money

and use that fact to our advantage.

[AmandaMae]

6. yes, after all the publicity. This shouldn't have happened in the first place.

[DissedByBush]

9. "Experimental" is a keyword to deny treatment

Even in socialized and hybrid systems.

UK example, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/derbyshire/7118607.stm

"This situation is not one where we feel the outcome will justify the expenditure."

[kas125]

10. I had to google to find out what eventually happened to

I had to google to find our what eventually happened to Mr. Lord. He moved into his sisters house in a different district where the transplant was approved, but he died anyway. Damn. http://www.thisisannouncements.co.uk/5860044?s_source=clna_zzzz

[DissedByBush]

11. It's just sad facts

No system has unlimited funds, and all systems will have people who make decisions on how to allocate the limited funds.

Personally, I like the hybrid German system the best.