This recent article in the LA Times highlights a growing problem of insurance companies "dumping" patients when they become ill, forcing patients to file lawsuits. Its part of a new trend towards weaker consumer protections for health insurance policies.

Many legislative initiatives today disguised as "health care regulatory reform" and "universal health insurance plans" often have hidden agendas, encouraging relaxing of rules that protect patients when they get sick.

LA Times
September 17, 2006

When Steve and Leslie Shaeffer's daughter, Selah, was diagnosed at age 4 with a potentially fatal tumor in her jaw, they figured their health insurance would cover the bulk of her treatment costs.

Instead, almost two years later, the Murrieta, Calif., couple face more than $60,000 in medical bills and fear the loss of their dream home. They struggle to stave off creditors as they try to figure out how Selah can keep seeing the physician they credit with saving her life.

"We're in big trouble," Leslie said.

Shortly after Selah's medical bills hit $20,000, Blue Cross stopped covering them and eventually canceled her coverage retroactively, refusing to pay for treatment, including surgery the insurer had authorized in advance...

Link to article
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-fi-revoke17sep17,0,3210332,print.story?coll=la-headlines-california

Treatments for breast cancer cause patients to miss an average of 44.5 days of work, according to a study reported in Psycho-Oncology. The median days missed by women treated with surgery and chemotherapy was 40.

For men treated for prostate cancer, the average number of work days missed was 27. The median was 20. Men treated with hormone and/or radiation therapy missed fewer days than men who underwent surgery.