Jessica Mendoza

Ultimately, Ed's medical team filed several rounds of appeals to Anthem. The information they submitted included those recent studies showing people like Ed did well after a transplant. In mid-June, Ed got the final decision. This time, it was from that third-party organization that Anthem had selected to review his case. It was yet another no. We asked Anthem about that final denial.

It said that the rejection was the third-party reviewer's decision. And Anthem said that for people with Ed's diagnosis, quote, the clinical evidence available at that time did not support liver transplants. But that final coverage denial only made Erin fight harder to find another way. I was throwing every Hail Mary. What she did? That's after the break.

It said that the rejection was the third-party reviewer's decision. And Anthem said that for people with Ed's diagnosis, quote, the clinical evidence available at that time did not support liver transplants. But that final coverage denial only made Erin fight harder to find another way. I was throwing every Hail Mary. What she did? That's after the break.

It said that the rejection was the third-party reviewer's decision. And Anthem said that for people with Ed's diagnosis, quote, the clinical evidence available at that time did not support liver transplants. But that final coverage denial only made Erin fight harder to find another way. I was throwing every Hail Mary. What she did? That's after the break.

Erin Stratton wanted to understand why the insurance company kept denying her dad's treatment. She dug into the studies her father's doctors were citing and also looked at how Anthem justified its denial. In the company's last two rejection letters, it said, quote, medical studies do not show that this surgery will improve your short or long-term health.

Erin Stratton wanted to understand why the insurance company kept denying her dad's treatment. She dug into the studies her father's doctors were citing and also looked at how Anthem justified its denial. In the company's last two rejection letters, it said, quote, medical studies do not show that this surgery will improve your short or long-term health.

Erin Stratton wanted to understand why the insurance company kept denying her dad's treatment. She dug into the studies her father's doctors were citing and also looked at how Anthem justified its denial. In the company's last two rejection letters, it said, quote, medical studies do not show that this surgery will improve your short or long-term health.

Erin also learned more about the doctors who had reviewed her dad's case.

Erin also learned more about the doctors who had reviewed her dad's case.

Erin also learned more about the doctors who had reviewed her dad's case.

Anthem pointed out that while its second-round reviewer was a family medicine doctor, the company's initial reviewer was an oncologist. Here's our colleague, Julie, again.

Anthem pointed out that while its second-round reviewer was a family medicine doctor, the company's initial reviewer was an oncologist. Here's our colleague, Julie, again.

Anthem pointed out that while its second-round reviewer was a family medicine doctor, the company's initial reviewer was an oncologist. Here's our colleague, Julie, again.

In the process of appealing, is there any way to know, like, who or what kind of doctor reviewed your claim? Do a lot of people know who denied their claim?

In the process of appealing, is there any way to know, like, who or what kind of doctor reviewed your claim? Do a lot of people know who denied their claim?

In the process of appealing, is there any way to know, like, who or what kind of doctor reviewed your claim? Do a lot of people know who denied their claim?

It can be a really dizzying experience trying to figure that out. For Erin, dealing with such a dizzying experience, she wanted to find other people who could help her decide what to do next. At the time, she worked at a communications company that helped healthcare systems like hospitals. So she started making calls to her contacts in the industry.

It can be a really dizzying experience trying to figure that out. For Erin, dealing with such a dizzying experience, she wanted to find other people who could help her decide what to do next. At the time, she worked at a communications company that helped healthcare systems like hospitals. So she started making calls to her contacts in the industry.

It can be a really dizzying experience trying to figure that out. For Erin, dealing with such a dizzying experience, she wanted to find other people who could help her decide what to do next. At the time, she worked at a communications company that helped healthcare systems like hospitals. So she started making calls to her contacts in the industry.

She called nonprofits and healthcare agencies, anyone she could think of that might be able to help. Her detective work led her to a company that was still in the process of starting up, called Claimable. Its founder, Waris Bokhari, decided to help Erin in her fight. The plan? To take her father's story public. Together, they produced what they called a public appeal.