Calif. Proton Therapy Insurance Denial Investigation Launched

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Proton beam therapy is a type of cancer treatment that some California insurance companies are reluctant to pay for. This has led to a class action lawsuit investigation to explore the possibility of a proton beam therapy insurance lawsuit.

Proton cancer therapy is a type of radiation therapy. All cancer therapies try and target things that make cancer different from healthy, normal human cells. Since cancer starts out as normal cells that malfunction, cancer cells tend to be very similar to normal tissue, complicating treatment, and making it hard to treat cancer without causing some harm to the patient. For example, the first modern chemotherapy drug was derived from a chemical weapon. It was intended that fast-growing cancer cells would absorb the poison more quickly than normal cells, but it was impossible to prevent some collateral damage. Proton beam therapy is designed to literally laser-target tumors.

In proton therapy, lasers and various types of medical scans are used to precisely target tumors. Then, physicians bombard the tumor with a beam of protons, a very directional high-energy form of radiation. These particles are generated by a small particle accelerator, a miniature version of the machines used in physics research like the Large Hadron Collider. This type of therapy is intended to target tumors more accurately than other types of radiation therapy, hopefully sparing healthy tissue near the tumor.

California Insurers Deny Proton Therapy Claims

Insurance companies across the country — and in California, in particular — have been reluctant to cover proton beam therapy, on the grounds that cheaper types of radiation therapy may be just as effective. Studies have suggested that for some cancers proton beam therapy may work better than other treatments and have fewer side effects. However, there have been no control trials to fully study the outcomes of proton beam therapy compared to other radiation therapies, leading some insurance companies in California to proton beam denials.

A proton beam class action lawsuit investigation has been launched to explore the possibility of legal action over proton beam therapy denials. Such a lawsuit could allege that insurance companies have wrongfully denied claims for a legitimate medical procedure. Investigators are focusing on patients from California who have had a proton beam therapy insurance claim denied by their insurance company.

Join a Free Proton Therapy Insurance Denial Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you or a loved one were denied coverage for proton cancer therapy in California by your health insurance provider, you may have a legal claim. Obtain a free case evaluation now. California health insurance companies being investigated for bad faith insurance denials of proton cancer therapy include:

• AETNA
• Anthem Blue Cross
• Blue Shield of California
• California Physicians Service
• Cigna
• Health Net
• Kaiser
• Secured Horizons
• United Healthcare
• Wellpoint
• Many more