Teen's transplant in limbo over insurance changeover
STOCKTON - The elation expressed two weeks ago by the Minjarez family when they learned an aunt is a compatible living donor for young Marissa's need for a new liver has come crashing down.
Blame it on unfortunate timing and the dysfunctional nature of the nation's health care system.
"Stress is an understatement," Marissa's mother, Hong Minjarez, said Wednesday.
The family returned to their Stockton home Tuesday following a disappointing meeting with officials at the University of California, San Francisco, Medical Center, where they were told that without insurance authorization by the middle of next week, Marissa's liver transplant surgery scheduled for Jan. 5 would be canceled.
The family has health insurance through father John Minjarez's employer.
The carrier, Blue Shield of California, has authorized Marissa's treatment. However, that coverage will end Dec. 31 when the employer switches carriers to Aetna.
The win, combined with Stockton's 7-6 loss at Rancho Cucamonga, vaulted Modesto into sole possession of first place in the North Division's second-half race with 18 games left. The Nuts also increased their lead over Bakersfield to five games in the
according to data released today by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Unfortunately, the statistics mean a lot in the Central Valley. In June, the NICB released a report showing that the cities of Sacramento, Fresno, Modesto and Stockton were