An Idaho man shattered one of his vertebrae while skiing in Switzerland, paralyzing him from the waist down — but his health insurance provider has refused to help cover the cost, leaving the family begging for money, they claim.
Justin Holman suffered a “catastrophic accident” on February 2 that left him unable to move his hands, fingers or anywhere below his waist, his brother said in a GoFundMe page. He already underwent emergency neck fusion surgery but he now requires rehabilitation, which UnitedHealthcare has denied to pay for.
The family estimates the flight home via air ambulance will cost nearly $200,000 - something United won’t pay either, according to his brother, Stetson.
Stetson told The Independent that a third-party administrator told his brother that it “wouldn’t be medically necessary to move him to the U.S. to get care” and that the healthcare company wouldn’t pay foreign claims. He says they have not received a denial in writing. So, the family has been “working under the assumption that [his rehab and transport] are not going to be paid.”
“It would be super challenging” for him to stay in Switzerland,” Stetson said. Keeping Justin at a German-speaking rehab facility for six weeks “is not really an option anyone is considering,” he added, noting that family members have to return to work and that Justin would be best served by a robust support network.
The family is now asking for donations to pay for a medical flight so that he can get “life-saving spinal cord care” at a hospital in Denver. The family’s fundraiser has garnered $66,000 in contributions as of Tuesday morning.
“We have in-network spine specialists and one of the best rehab facilities ready to take him, but he is stranded in a hospital abroad without the treatment that could make all the difference in his recovery,” the fundraiser said. “Every day that passes without rehab is a day lost in his fight for recovery.”
His brother wrote: “His health insurance provider, UnitedHealthcare, has refused to cover any rehabilitation in Switzerland and is outright denying coverage for the medical transport he needs to get home for specialized spinal cord treatment.”
UnitedHealthcare would not comment without the patient completing a form authorizing the release of health information. The Independent has passed that form to the family.
Holman was life-flighted to Bern, Switzerland, Friday and his medical bills have already soared to hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to a GoFundMe update from his brother.
Justin is now in a wheelchair and is able to move one of his fingers one millimeter, which the family is celebrating as it could mean he could regain use of his hands, Stetson said.
To reduce risk of him becoming a quadriplegic, doctors are urging the family to take an air ambulance. The family previously put down a non-refundable $15,000 for a transportation service where doctors would sit on both sides of Justin on a standard plane. But doctors didn’t approve this plan and required they use an air ambulance, meaning the family has already lost that deposit.
According to ValuePenguin, UnitedHealthcare denies 33 percent of claims.
Former UnitedHealthcare’s CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot outside of a Manhattan hotel in December. His murder sparked a nationwide conversation about the state of healthcare in the U.S.
Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of murdering Thompson, reportedly suffered from chronic back pain caused by a condition known as spondylolisthesis. He “went missing” after undergoing back surgery. The motive for the killing isn’t clear and Mangione has pleaded not guilty.
Americans were divided in their reactions to the attack. Some denounced the slaying, other called for healthcare reform and others still sympathized with the murder suspect or celebrated the killing. “Free Luigi” signs and merchandise cropped up across the country. Some even wrote folk songs about the incident, sent him fan mail and donated to his legal defense, highlighting the country’s outrage toward the health care industry.
