A 17-year-old died in Los Angeles just hours after her health insurance company reversed earlier decisions and agreed to pay for a liver transplant.
Nataline Sarkisyan died last night at UCLA Medical Center. Her mother Hilda says she holds the insurance company responsible and that Nataline had been in a vegetative state for weeks.
Nataline had been battling leukemia and received a bone marrow transplant from her brother. She developed a complication that caused her liver to fail.
UCLA doctors determined she needed a transplant and sent a letter to CIGNA HealthCare on December 11th. The health insurance company denied payment for the transplant, saying the procedure was experimental and outside the scope of coverage.
Yesterday, about 150 teenagers and nurses protested outside CIGNA's office in Glendale. As the protesters rallied, the company reversed its decision and said it would approve the transplant.
The family's attorney Mark Geragos said at an L.A. press conference today he also plans to ask the district attorney to press murder or manslaughter charges against CIGNA HealthCare for the death of Nataline Sarkisyan. He did not say when or in what court he would file the suit.
