Insurance barriers delay treatment, adding stress and harm to patients.
Families across the United States continue to face serious barriers when trying to access medical care, and many say health insurance denials make already painful situations harder. For Traci Hurley, the experience began while watching her husband, Dan Hurley, battle cancer in late 2021. The emotional toll of his illness was heavy, but the repeated conflicts with insurance providers added another layer of distress. She described constant fear and exhaustion as health insurance denials have delayed or blocked treatments recommended by physicians. The Hurleys believed no family should have to argue with insurers for care while facing life-threatening illness.
Their situation was especially troubling because both were physicians. Dan Hurley, an ear, nose, and throat surgeon, often helped his own patients fight health insurance denials. Even with deep medical knowledge and professional experience, the couple struggled to secure approvals for scans, chemotherapy, radiation, and medications. Many requests were rejected under the claim that they were not medically necessary. Traci Hurley questioned how patients without medical training could possibly manage the same system when even doctors faced repeated refusals.
Dan Hurley had been active and healthy before a lingering back pain led to a diagnosis of chondrosarcoma, a rare bone cancer. Treatment required removal of the tumor and his hip, yet insurance covered only part of the costs. As the disease progressed, much of his time was spent on phone calls, appeals, and waiting for promised callbacks that never came. After his death in August 2023, his wife received a letter demanding payment for chemotherapy that had already been approved but later denied, a moment she described as devastating and surreal.
Industry insiders acknowledge that denial practices are closely tied to costs. Ron Howrigon, a former insurance executive, explained that a small percentage of members account for a large share of spending. From a business standpoint, discouraging care reduces expenses. Unlike most industries, insurance companies lose money when customers fully use the product they pay for, creating tension between profit and patient needs.
Data on how often claims are denied remains limited, but available federal figures show that nearly one in five in-network claims were rejected in 2024. Some large insurers report lower denial rates across all plans, while also noting that many employer-sponsored plans are self-funded. In those cases, employers design coverage rules, while insurance companies handle paperwork and payments, adding another layer of confusion for patients who often assume insurers control all decisions.
Doctors on the front lines report that denials interfere directly with patient care. In Austin, Texas, breast surgeon Elisabeth Potter treats dozens of cancer patients each week. She says insurance obstacles increase costs and delay care, forcing her staff to spend entire days navigating approvals. In one case, a patient needing a procedure to prevent long-term arm swelling was denied coverage, requiring a second surgery and anesthesia that could have been avoided. Potter often must defend her decisions to insurance medical reviewers who lack expertise in her field.
Some physicians who speak publicly about these issues face pushback. After posting a video expressing frustration with insurance demands during surgery, Potter received a legal threat accusing her of defamation. Though no lawsuit followed, the experience left her shaken and concerned about retaliation for advocating for patients.
Researchers say many patients never appeal denied claims, even though appeals succeed about half the time. Miranda Yaver, a public health professor, describes the system as one that relies on delay and fatigue. Many people do not know appeals are possible, while others lack time or energy to continue fighting. As a result, needed care is often abandoned, not because it lacks value, but because the process becomes overwhelming.
For Traci Hurley, the fight continues in her husband’s memory. She believes insurers should be held to standards similar to doctors when their decisions cause harm. While grief remains, so does determination to push for accountability in a system that too often places financial rules ahead of human lives.
Sources:
State of denial: How insurance companies impact health care today
No more surprise bills: Hospitals and insurers required to disclose prices
Join the conversation!