A growing number of cancer patients and their families are choosing to pursue a proton therapy denial lawsuit after insurance companies denied coverage of this cancer treatment.

Even as proton therapy becomes an increasingly popular and effective option for cancer treatment, patients are finding that certain health insurers are denying coverage of proton therapy treatment for cancer patients.

For instance, two lawsuits were filed in Oklahoma in July, alleging that the insurance companies Blue Cross and Blue Shield had denied coverage of their proton therapy treatments, despite its advantages over the more traditional radiation therapy.

One of the plaintiffs involved in the proton therapy denial lawsuit has already received proton therapy cancer treatment, but the health insurer has refused to cover the procedure. The other plaintiff has not yet received this treatment, and hopes that the proton therapy denial lawsuit will encourage Blue Cross to cover the costs of the therapy.

Each plaintiff’s proton therapy denial lawsuit claims that, in denying coverage for this essential cancer treatment, their insurance companies are acting in bad faith. Filing a proton therapy denial lawsuit over bad faith can result in significant damages. Attorney Bill Coyle puts it this way: “If you find that an insurance company has acted in bad faith, not only are you entitled to damages, but

Filing a proton therapy denial lawsuit over bad faith can result in significant damages. Attorney Bill Coyle puts it this way: “If you find that an insurance company has acted in bad faith, not only are you entitled to damages, but you’re entitled to punitive damages that this company acted with malicious intent.”

Background of Proton Therapy Usage

Proton therapy treatment has taken decades to develop since its invention in the 1940s. However, proton therapy treatment as an alternative to the more traditional radiation therapy has taken off since the 1990s, when California hospitals began opening centers specifically dedicated to proton therapy. For instance, California’s Loma Linda University opened a proton therapy center in 1990, the first of its kind.

The technology available for proton therapy treatment has improved in the last several years, allowing the radiation alternative to become significantly more widespread.

What is Proton Therapy?

Proton therapy treatment is different from radiation therapy, which uses X-rays that pass through the body and exposes patients to potentially electromagnetic radiation that can be extremely dangerous. Instead of exposing large portions of the patient’s body to harmful electromagnetic radiation, proton therapy targets only the exact portion of cancerous cells being treated. This prevents the major irradiation of normal, non-cancerous tissues that traditional radiation therapy can cause.

How is this kind of precision possible? Proton therapy uses a beam of protons, shaped to exactly match the cancerous portion of a patient’s body, to target the cancerous cells.

Filing Proton Therapy Denial Lawsuit

Many insurance companies do consider proton therapy an acceptable alternative to X-ray radiation therapy, and offer coverage for this treatment. However, a growing number of cancer patients are running into health insurers in California and elsewhere that are denying coverage for their proton therapy in bad faith.

If you have been denied proton therapy insurance coverage by your California health insurance company, you may be entitled to compensation by filing a proton therapy denial lawsuit.