Letter to the editor: N.D. workers deserve better care for workplace injuries

Where does someone go when their health insurance company fails to pay for the medical care their loved one needs? My husband was injured while at work, which nearly cost him his life, but with all his strength and the love of his family by his side, he beat the odds and survived. He is now in a nursing home attempting to start and finish a very delicate process of rehab. That is, if our irresponsible and insensitive insurance company allows him to.

First of all, North Dakota’s Workforce Safety and Insurance has refused responsibility for his medical expenses claiming there is no proof he was injured while at work. That claim has no standing because his employer and all of the doctors and nurses agree that’s what happened. I was then forced into the emotionally draining circus of contacting my state representatives of District 29 and the governor to try and find a solution. Since the state-run WSI won’t cover our family’s costs, we hoped our insurance company, Blue Cross Blue Shield, would do its job and provide our health insurance. We have, of course, been paying thousands of dollars to them on a regular basis so when we needed medical care it would be covered.

Unfortunately, Blue Cross Blue Shield doesn’t share our view of what an insurance company does. Against doctor’s orders, Blue Cross Blue Shield has been reluctant to allow my husband to finish his rehab in the nursing home. I have fought tooth and nail to ensure my husband is given the necessary treatment for his disability so he can one day return home with dignity.

Instead of covering life-saving treatment, it looks like Blue Cross Blue Shield would rather pay its executives a lavish amount of money and send them on luxurious trips. We can’t afford this treatment on our own without going deeply into poverty and giving up all we have worked so hard for. What is the point of having health insurance if they aren’t going to cover your family’s health care needs? Shouldn’t the doctors be in charge of these decisions and not some insurance company that claims to be non-profit?

Nancy Lies

Ypsilanti, N.D.

Tags: workers comp, opinion, letters, insurance