LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Deron Wells has been at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center for the last month fighting for his life as he battles Stage 4 lung cancer.
The husband and father of three was preparing to fly across the country for a life-changing double-lung transplant when his insurance company denied him coverage.
But on Monday, Wells and his family got the call he and his family have been praying for. His final appeal was approved by his insurance company, and Wells will be able to get the procedure.
Wells, 59, had been medically cleared for a clinical double-lung transplant at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. Cigna had approved him for procedures that would have allowed him to be transferred.
A man battling stage 4 lung cancer was preparing to fly across the country for a life-changing double-lung transplant when his insurance company denied him coverage.
Wells assumed coverage for the transplant would be following, but the insurance company denied coverage since the transplant is not standard treatment for lung cancer and Cigna doesn’t cover clinical trials.
However, Wells’ appeal was approved, and he’ll soon be on his way to Chicago.
“I’m thrilled. My heart is beating so fast,” Wells’ wife Janet Savarimuthu told Eyewitness News. “I just can’t express in words how happy we all are. We are truly, truly grateful for everything that has happened today, and I give glory to God.”
In a statement, Cigna Healthcare said:
“We understand that facing a complex disease or condition can be incredibly challenging and we are glad that our established review process – designed to ensure that every patient gets a fair and objective determination of coverage – has resulted in an outcome where Mr. Wells will be able to receive this experimental treatment.”
If all goes according to plan, Wells will be transferred to Chicago as early as Tuesday. Once he arrives, he will undergo testing and then he’ll be put on the list for the double-lung transplant.
Wells says this is everything he’s been praying for and that he’s ready to continue to fight for his life.
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