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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Miranda Yaver

My $30,000 health insurance claim was denied. Then I tweeted about it

illustration of a person with a megaphone standing on lots of angry emoji faces
Social media outreach is not the conventional avenue through which to challenge health insurance-related delays and denials, but it can be effective. Composite: Glenn Harvey

In December 2016, I was hospitalized with severe electrolyte abnormalities that were causing fatigue, muscle cramps and chest discomfort. I received care at my local hospital, which was nationally ranked both overall and in the treatment of endocrine conditions, and I recovered fully.

A month later, my heart sank as I received a letter from Aetna informing me that the hospitalization, amounting to nearly $30,000 in treatment, had been deemed not medically necessary. Coverage was denied.

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