An Appeal of Another Kind...

With all of the walls we have come up against these past few days, I have written an email to the Attorney General of Connecticut, Mr. Richard Blumenthal, in hopes he may be able to extend us some help and some hope.

Mr. Blumenthal,

My name is Megan Strange and I am writing to you about my mom, Marian Strange. She is 57 and was diagnosed last November with a Glioblastoma (GBM IV) that is pressing on the motor strip of her left frontal lobe. Over the last nine months, my father and I have chased down every doctor, neurosurgeon, oncologist, and treatment available to buy her some more time. In the midst of this we have been battling the insurance company, my mom’s employer (ironically, The Hartford Insurance Company), and the Social Security Administration for reimbursement, authorizations, and disability entitlements. The hardest part, of course, was not managing the logistics and the bureaucracies, but slowly losing our mother, wife, and, best friend while doing so.

I could go into great depth about our journey, but it would mean very much to me if you would take the time to look at the blog that I have been keeping instead. Here is the link: http://mama-marian-strange.blogspot.com/.

My reason for writing to you tonight is to ask for your help. Every time it seems this could not get any more difficult, it seems to do just that. At this point in time we are at a loss for how to move forward. More than anything, we would love to bring my mom home to our house in Canton to spend her last weeks and days with Hospice to help us care for her and keep her comfortable. However, this has proved to be near impossible for me and my father. She is in a great deal of pain that the doctors have not been able to relieve without leaving her near comatose and has episodes of significant agitation in which she sometimes becomes confused and combative.

The insurance company, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, has denied her any further Skilled Nursing Care after only three weeks, despite our advocacy and expedited appeals. We may have the option of using her $25,000 lifetime maximum of Hospice care allotted by insurance; however this would only allow for a month of inpatient care. Although my mom is extremely sick, she is also young and strong, and we expect her to live for another couple of months at least. After the Hospice benefits are exhausted, we would likely have no other option than to cash in my father’s life insurance plan, take out a second mortgage on a home that is almost paid off after 30 years, and leave my dad with next to nothing. Then, and only then, might my mom qualify for Medicaid to pay for the remainder of her care.

To be honest, I am not sure what it is that I am asking of you. I was told by a friend of my mother’s how proactive and compassionate you have been in your role as Attorney General for the state of Connecticut. She recommended I try writing to you to ask for some guidance, for some support. I would greatly appreciate anything that you might be able to do to help my mom and my family.

Thank you so very much for taking the time to read my email and consider my request for help.

Sincerely,

Megan E. Strange