Dr. Culberson’s Story

A patient called reporting his insurance (United) denied renewal for his ventilator, essential for his survival. Despite clear medical necessity documented by a pulmonologist, appeals were fruitless due to bureaucratic delays. Urgently, I persuaded the oxygen company to delay pickup, scheduled a doc-to-doc, and resubmitted documentation. Thankfully, the appeal was eventually accepted. Had I lacked the time that day, the patient’s life would have been endangered by the insurance company’s callous decision-making.