Medicare drops mom with cancer – probably will get treatment

I’ll be honest here, I’m not certain if we have the full story, but it is disturbing none-the-less. A mom undergoing treatment for cancer was denied a procedure because her income level went “too high” after Social Security suggested she sign her son up for disability benefits.

Hat tip to Sweetness & Light who points us to the story over at CBS 4 in Fort Lauderdale.

Diana Smith has gone through six months of radiation and chemotherapy — one week out of every month. She is in remission and had a donor for a transplant; being in remission is prerequisite for the transplant.

But her hopes of receiving the transplant were dashed in March, when she says, the Social Security Administration contacted her –without her soliciting it — and told her that her three year-old son was entitled to receive Social Security disability payments. Even though she didn’t ask for it, she signed the form and received her son’s first check check.

In April, Medicaid canceled her universal health care policy because her income level had risen with her son’s payments – making her ineligible for the insurance program.

The current government program certainly do seem to make a total mess of things for families on a regular basis. Doubt it will get much better.

After review, it looks like Diana will get her treatment this week. You’ll notice that I’ve provided you with the full information I have, including the fact she was denied coverage, had to go through the mental anguish about getting treatment, she had to reach out for help, and she may well get the help she needs.

If President Obama told this story, it would have ended right after she was denied coverage and he never would have told the audience Diana will most likely get her treatment this week.

As a result of the WFOR CBS 4 report, State Sen. Dave Aronberg is prepared to take action over the weekend. Social Security officials are also looking into the case to make the surgery happen on Tuesday as had been planned.

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Steve McGough

Steve's a part-time conservative blogger. Steve grew up in Connecticut and has lived in Washington, D.C. and the Bahamas. He resides in Connecticut, where he’s comfortable six months of the year.

5 Comments

  1. Dimsdale on April 11, 2010 at 7:05 pm

    "We're the government, and we're here to help you".   I guess we need to define "help"…..



  2. donh on April 12, 2010 at 3:27 am

    Just what cancer patients need having to deal with this kind of STRESS and anxiety. Why can't the fascist bureocrat be charged with attempted murder for taking away a person's cancer treatment? Lets not allow murderers to control the language. Killing people is not "efficacy and protocol."



  3. Anne-EH on April 12, 2010 at 9:22 am

    ….And Obamacare promises to make things better?



  4. carolhgs on April 12, 2010 at 9:45 am

    This stuff makes me crazy.  You guys don't understand that there is not a vicious government employee reviewing every single application. When her income went up, it triggered certain computer programs which automatically cause her case to be rejected. She CAN now afford insurance according to the guideline and possibly could have purchased it. The fact that she was in the middle of cancer treatments is sad. However, with that said, it does not alleviate her duty to take care of her own medical problems and pay for her own treatment, frankly.  People (employees of the state) are not fascist when they are doing their jobs and applying guidelines. Otherwise, this state would be a lot poorer than it already is and you wouldn't like that either. You can't have it both ways, personal responsibility is just that…personal. My best to her and I hope she gets well.



  5. Fangbeer on April 12, 2010 at 2:56 pm

    <cite>carolhgs</cite> says: you don't understand

    Oh I understand.  I understand that her personal situation was steamrolled by a bureaucratic entitlement system that was supposed to make her life easier.    No one said there was a government employee reviewing each and every application.  In fact, that's part of the problem with convoluted government systems.  Individuality is squashed.  You become a number; a statistic.  Some decider decides what sort of categories there should be based on arbitrary values that do not need to comply with logic, morality, or reality, and then you get labeled.

    It's the very definition of prejudice.  You make X therefor you can afford Y.  You are M therefor you fit in slot F.

    What's sad is that she could have everything she wants paid for by the Government.  All she has to do is make some poor choices.  She can abuse drugs and quit her job.   Doing so would open a world of opportunities to her.



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