cannabisnews.com: An Insurer Dithers and an Addict Dies!





An Insurer Dithers and an Addict Dies!
Posted by FoM on May 26, 1999 at 10:35:10 PT
Source: The Village Voice
Robert Payton was the kind of guy who could take care of business. A 42-year-old lawyer who handled real estate and construction cases, he was articulate, well-educated, and insured. So after Payton, who was also addicted to drugs and alcohol, accidentally overdosed and ended up comatose for 12 days in January 1998, he was determined to kick his habit.
Even before he left the hospital where he'd regained consciousness after his brush with death, Payton launched what became an extended campaign to get approval for inpatient drug rehabilitation from his insurer, Aetna/US Healthcare. According to his sister, Maureen Hussey, "he made between three and five calls a day. He even kept a journal of his notes." But Payton's crusade to get the treatment that had been recommended by his doctors was ultimately for naught. He died of an overdose in his Manhattan apartment, halfway through one final letter to his insurer. Click the above link to read the whole article!
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