Denver boy, 9, died after state-benefits error denied him asthma medication

[RamboLiberal]

A Montbello mother says her 9-year-old son's death from severe asthma could have been prevented had Denver Human Services resolved problems with his Medicaid pharmacy benefits.

Zuton Lucero said she called Human Services every three days for months last year when she was suddenly unable to get prescription drugs for her son, Zumante.

The boy's health deteriorated without the medication, his doctor said, and he died at Children's Hospital in July after losing consciousness at his house after an attack.

"I don't want anyone else to be sitting where I'm sitting," Lucero said.

Advocacy lawyers who met Wednesday with the Colorado Attorney General's Office hold up Lucero's story as an example of how serious the problems are with the state's $243 million computer system that is supposed to manage benefits — and the county human workers behind it.

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14329527#ixzz0ehkvkZ3o



Heads ought to roll in this case. Hell IMHO there should be criminal charges against the clowns at the top!

F*ck those blocking health insurance in this country, f*ck Denver Human Services and f*ck Repukes like Tancredo who don't give a damn about kids like Zumante. And f*ck clowns like Beck who would probably claim Zumante isn't an American name.

[alstephenson]

1. RIP, little one.

I'm so sorry we failed you.

[FiveGoodMen]

2. Someone murdered him.

Appropriate penalties should apply.

[Supply Side Jesus]

6. Murder is intentional

ridiculous

[FiveGoodMen]

7. Setting up a system to deny people what they can't live without is intentional

[BanzaiBonnie]

3. Just seeing his smiling face made me cry... WHY!

I can't imagine the grief of the mother who had to bury her child because a computer made a mistake and no person bothered to correct the mistake.

[timtom]

28. Me too.

Poor little guy.

[RC]

4. Single Payer, Universal Health Care would stop what amounts to legal murder like this.

Put the health insurance companies out of business.

[gelinas]

8. I am not sure how single payer would have prevented this.

From the article: "A Montbello mother says her 9-year-old son's death from severe asthma could have been prevented had Denver Human Services resolved problems with his Medicaid pharmacy benefits." It was Medicaid as implemented by Colorado. No health insurance company involved, unless a company was implementing Medicaid on behalf of Colorado. It sounds like some are blaming the failure to get the prescription on the new Colorado computer system. Does anyone know if they can sue the government successfully, or can it claim immunity?

[Sparkly]

5. This in America.

:(

[backscatter712]

9. I met the Luceros last summer at a health care protest in Denver, just after Zumante died.

Their story's truly heartbreaking.

[TeeYiYi]

10. How expensive was the medication?...

I would have sold everything I owned to make sure my child had their medication.

Not saying what the insurance company did wasn't heinous. It was! Just saying...

TYY :shrug:

[FLDCVADem]

11. It was Medicaid n/t

[TeeYiYi]

13. Regardless...

... whether it was Medicaid or Blue Cross is not necessarily relevant. I would have moved earth and sky to make sure my child had his medication first, and then worked toward reimbursement.

If I had to take out a loan or sell the shoes off my own two feet...

TYY

[FLDCVADem]

14. Oh, I totally agree with you

My point was that this doesn't appear to be a case of an evil insurance company, but rather an incompetent government agency.

[TeeYiYi]

16. It's a terribly sad story...

... and one that is repeated every single day in post-Bush America. :cry:

But me,... personally... I would not allow my child to die over money or the lack thereof.

TYY

[northofdenali]

31. Isn't "incompetent government agency" redunant?

I hear what you're saying, and TYY is saying. I think the incompetence was all-round; the mom could have used other means to get the boy's meds, and the government involved just sucked period.

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. If the family qualified for Medicaid they may not have had any assets to sell

Just sayin . . .

[dugaresa]

15. for severe asthma and without insurance you are looking at a small car payment per month

asthma meds could easily reach $350 per month or much more

[TeeYiYi]

17. Yes, that's alot...

... which is why I would have camped out at the local hospital emergency room and/or asked for help from the local community. I would have involved the local media; lobbied congress, sold the tv, sold the stereo...

It's a horrible story. Asthma is literally life or death and not to be trifled with.

My child would have had his medication. I promise you that.

TYY

[Dappleganger]

18. You're not kidding!

Throw in a bout of pneumonia, bronchitis or the flu and it escalates from there. This is why we've had junky cars for YEARS.

[Dappleganger]

19. BTW, that is WITH insurance! nt

[TeeYiYi]

22. Crazy! My parents pay thousands for prescriptions...

... and that's with TWO insurance policies. What the primary policy doesn't cover, the secondary is supposed to pick up. After both insurance policies have paid what they will, my parents are still required too pay ridiculous sums of money for necessary medicine each month.

It would seem their retirement is being spent on prescription co-pays.

How can anyone say there's not a problem with jacked up health insurance costs in this country?

TYY :(

[Yurovsky]

27. The government needs to seize the drug companies...

they have failed to act in the public interest for decades. This nonsense has to stop.

[FLDCVADem]

30. They aren't there to act in the public's interest n/t

[knitter4democracy]

20. The one I need but can't afford costs $300/mo.

That's what I've been quoted, anyway. I can't afford it. It takes up to 6 weeks to get to full strength in the body, so if I can't afford it the next month because of bills and crap, it's money down the drain.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

21. I swear, I think the ins. cos. are trying to kill us.

Because asthma meds that you cannot get in generic are horribly expensive.

Worst example, Spiriva is a capsule with powder you inhale. It's about $200 a month, or $7 for one capsule, which has 14 micrograms (MILLIONTHS of a gram) of active ingredient.

That's millions of dollars a pound. Overseas it's a dollar a capsule.

Also, Advair is a powder inhaled and it's expensive too.

[TeeYiYi]

23. That's what I don't understand...

... Why is it so much more expensive to buy prescriptions in America than the rest of the world?

TYY

[Posteritatis]

26. Lack of price controls combined with libertarian ideologies around access to medicine. (nt)

[kudzu22]

24. I agree with you but...

it was a state agency, not an insurance company, that dropped the ball and killed poor Zumante. Not that an insurance company would have done better, but at least you could sue them. This story hardly makes the case for HCR, in fact the RWers will probably seize on it as an example of why state-run care is bad.

Still makes me sad.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

25. Tragic. Sounds like a lot of people need to lose their jobs.

Plenty of people out of work. I'm sure they could find some competent and compassionate people.

[blaze]

29. RIP Zumante

What a wonderful smile. :(