Nataline Sarkisyan, in California, needed a liver transplant in order to continue surviving her three-year battle against leukemia. The insurance company eventually agreed to cover her transplant, but not in time to save her life - Nataline died on Thursday, 20th December. Her parents say that Nataline would still be alive today if the insurance company had not taken so long to approve her transplant.

Despite a two-week battle with the insurance company to reverse their decision, Nataline's parents did not manage to get a positive decision in time. Krikor Sarkysyan, father, says that Cigna Corp., the health insurance company, took his daughter away from him. His lawyer, Mark Geragos, says he intends to sue the Cigna for inflicting emotional distress, plus some other allegations - he will ask the district attorney's office to press murder or manslaughter charges.

Whether a liver transplant can save a leukemia patient's life is not a clear issue among medical experts. Many say that the immunosuppressant drugs an organ transplant recipient must take may hasten the development of tumors.

Just before Thanksgiving Nataline had received a bone marrow transplant from her brother. Unfortunately, a complication ensued which brought about liver failure. She was taken off life support on 20th December and soon died - she was being treated at the University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center.

Cigna had initially denied covering for a liver transplant for Nataline as it was classed as "experimental". However, four doctors appealed to the insurer - asking it to reconsider the decision. The doctors explained that 65% of patients who undergo such a transplant under similar circumstances survive for over six months. As a crowd of over 100 nurses and other people started to rally outside Cigna's Los Angeles offices, the company changed its mind and agreed to cover the costs of a transplant.

Nurses say that Nataline is one of many victims across the USA who suffers as a result of "draconian health insurance denial of care".

USA Top 13 Health Insurance and Managed Care Companies
(Fortune, April 30th, 2007 issue)

1. UnitedHealth Group
Revenue $71,542,000,000

2. Wellpoint
Revenue $56,953,000,000

3. Aetna
Revenue $25,568,600,000

4. Humana
Revenue $21,416,500,000

5. Cigna
Revenue $16,547,000,000

6. Health Net
Revenue $12,908,400,000

7. Coventry Health Care
Revenue $7,733,800,000

8. WellCare Health Plans
Revenue $3,762,900,000

9. Amerigroup
Revenue $2,835,100,000

10. Centene
Revenue $2,279,000,000

11. Medical Mutual of Ohio
Revenue $2,039,100,000

12. Molina Healthcare
Revenue $2,005,000,000

13. Sierra Health Services
Revenue $1,718,900,000