WAVE 3 TV Louisville, KY | Insurance company denies woman's surgery to remove brain tumor

Insurance company denies woman's surgery to remove brain tumor

By Maira Ansari - bio | email
Posted by Charles Gazaway - email

RINEYVILLE, KY (WAVE) - A Rineyville woman is battling a brain tumor and now her insurance company. After trying just about everything to get rid of her excruciating headaches from her brain tumor, Melissa Tew thought she finally may have found a medical procedure to help. But at the last minute her insurance company said they wouldn't cover her procedure. 

Melissa said she is in debilitating pain and by bedtime she is completely medicated and curled up in a ball crying. The 29-year-old is mother of two and military wife, who a year ago was diagnosed with a non life-threatening brain tumor.

Melissa keeps a bag of pills that she has taken to try and ease the pain, or is currently taking. With no relief from her medication, her doctor gave her the option of surgery. Melissa believes surgery is the only way she will find some relief.

“What they would have to do is start and make in incision here follow around my hair line. And removed that part of my skull to get to it,” said Melissa, who

Melissa scheduled her surgery for November 10, but just one day before her operation, she found out her insurance company would not pay for the procedure. Melissa said TRICARE told her since removing the tumor may not get rid of her headaches 100%, it wouldn't cover her procedure.

“Enough is enough. I can't do it anymore,” said Melissa. “I want them to take a chance and look at the person behind the black and white and what they see on paper. I know they are following their protocol and I know they are following their standards and they have to go through all the tape, but take a second and look at the person it's affecting and the family it's affecting and try and put them first for a change instead of looking at the almighty dollar.”

Melissa's neurosurgeon, Dr. Todd Vitaz from Norton Neurological Institute, said he recommends that Melissa have her tumor removed because there is an 85% chance it would improve her quality of life.

We also spoke with a representative from TRICARE, the insurance company who ruled Melissa’s surgery is medically unnecessary. They said Melissa does have the right to appeal their decision.

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