A retired city cop says health care giant Aetna has served “a death sentence” on his severely disabled 15-year-old son by slashing coverage for his around-the-clock nursing care.
John and Lisa Brower, of Massapequa, Long Island, are suing their insurer after the company cut the 24-hour care down to eight hours in 2012, even though their son Jake’s condition has only worsened, the parents say in their Manhattan Supreme Court.
Jake had brain surgery at age 5 to remove a cyst that left him handicapped– he uses a wheelchair, has limited speech and suffers from twice-daily life-threatening seizures.
“Jake’s condition has not changed. The only thing that has changed is Aetna’s appetite to save money and its desire to not pay this claim,” the distressed parents say in court papers.
Aetna denied the Browers appeals– saying that the nurses were merely a “convenience” for Jake’s caretakers, according to the suit.
But his epilepsy doc said, “It is medically compelling for Jake to have 24-hour skilled nursing care and to do otherwise puts him in jeopardy for early mortality.”
The parents echo that warning in their Manhattan civil suit, “Quite simply, Aetna’s denial of coverage for skilled nursing care will ultimately result in a death sentence for Jake.”
John Brower retired from the 101st Precinct in 2008 after 20 years to help care for his son. His wife also had to quit her job as a surgical technician to be a full time mom to Jake and his three siblings.
A rep for Aetna said she was looking into the case.