Dia de la Mujer Latina(TM) Founder and CEO Venus Gines Provides Testimony on Her Own Experiences with Coverage Denials Due to a Pre-Existing Condition, Shares PAF 2008 Patient Data Access Report Findings Highlighting Nationwide Access to Care Issues
The Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF) -- a national non-profit organization providing patient services to tens of thousands of patients every year who are unable to obtain access to care because of financial or insurance denials -- is pleased to announce that PAF Executive Board Member Venus Gines, founder and CEO of Dia de la Mujer Latina(TM) Inc (Day of the Latin American Woman), provided first-hand testimony today to First Lady Michelle Obama regarding her own and other patients' experiences in being denied health insurance due to pre-existing conditions, and the need to protect patients against such discrimination under healthcare reform.
"As a breast cancer survivor who was denied health insurance because of my previous bout with cancer, and in seeing my sister's untimely death of cervical cancer due to HPV, I became dedicated to increasing screening and reducing patient mortality for breast and cervical cancer, as well as to helping all patients facing chronic, life threatening and debilitating illnesses gain access to needed health care services through my work with PAF," said Gines. "I am honored to have had the opportunity to share my perspective on these matters with Mrs. Obama today, and I have much hope that our Congress will address these critical issues as it strives to overhaul our health care system."
As Gines relayed to the First Lady, her experience in facing coverage denials is not uncommon - and, unfortunately, as more Americans lose their health insurance due to unemployment or pre-existing conditions, they are then unable to access even basic life-saving medical care and treatment. According to PAF's 2008 Patient Data Access Report (PDAR), there was a 146 percent increase from the previous year in cases of patients who were negatively affected by a pre-existing medical condition and/or who met underwriting criteria as a result of a previous illness.