Woman Denied Health Care Insurance After Rape Tells Her Story (Video)

Christina Turner was drugged and raped by two men in 2002. After taking anti-HIV drugs prescribed by her doctor as a preventative measure, Turner was denied health insurance. The HIV drugs, Turner was told, raised too many health questions for her insurer.

Christina Turner's story was part of a citizen journalism project by the Huffington Post Investigative Fund. Readers were asked to provide information and anecdotes about the inner workings of the insurance industry. Stories showing how victims of sexual assault can get tangled in the health insurance system were just one result of the project.

CNN's Anderson Cooper interviewed Turner on Monday night. She recounted her story and underscored the need for reform. She touted the web site awomanisnotapreexistingcondition.com and encouraged viewers to find out more about the issue.

WATCH

Comments

[RightsGuy]

Our fight for equal access to healthcare for all is about democracy, human rights, civil rights, and basic human decency. WE MUST JOIN TOGETHER TO FIGHT FOR OUR CIVIL RIGHTS AND BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS. Health care is a basic human right.

JOIN IN THE ACTION! The next wave of the Mobilization for Health Care for All has begun. Go here to see the locations of the 19 actions around the country: http://www.healthcare-now.org/the-next-wave-of-actions/

For more info: http://mobilizeforhealthcare.org/

[RightsGuy]

When will the health insurance industry stop raping Americans?

The health insurance companies will do anything to maintain their profits, so they bribe Congress. We, the people, need to vote OUT OF OFFICE all those in Congress who go along with this corruption.

BLUE CROSS OF CALIFORNIA, A SUBSIDIARY OF WELLPOINT, ENCOURAGED EMPLOYEES THROUGH PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS TO CANCEL THE HEALTH INSURANCE POLICIES OF INDIVIDUALS WITH EXPENSIVE ILLNESSES.

One Blue Cross employee earned a perfect score of "5" for "exceptional performance" on an evaluation that noted the employee's role in dropping thousands of policyholders and avoiding nearly $10 million worth of medical care.

Blue Cross of California and two other insurers saved more than $300 million in medical claims by canceling more than 20,000 sick policyholders over a five-year period.

Read more here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/20/AR2009072003363_Comments.html

[Earl Dixon]

Their Greed is limitless

[Wallacelck]

I continue to read almost daily the horror stories of the private insurance industry. I am sure I must have missed to comments from people who have good stories of how the insurance industry has gone above the call of thier obligation to help people of America. Could someone please supply me some links as to find the good news of private insurance, I am sure they they can be found somewhere. It is hard to believe that an industry so large and powerful can't provide a couple of feel good stories.

[jennylynn]

There are two sides to this story. Why doesn't Anderson contact the Insurance company she is referring to in her comments? Maybe this is why CNN is going down the tubes with their news.

[Jeff1958]

Which insurance company do you work for?

[cybexg]

So this woman is going to suffer public exposure of her rape, of her fear of aids, of her uninsured status for WHAT GAIN???

two sides is a BS argument here.

[Huminawah]

What gain? She's is using her story to become an ambassador for all people who have ever been denied health insurance due to an absurd pre-existing condition, which in this case, is a NON CONDITION. In addition, she is educating the rest of insured America about how the rest of us live in fear of bankruptcy or death due to no insurance.

What is more important than your health? NOTHING.

People with pre existing conditions pay close to 125% more than those with none on an individual private plan. They have to make a choice between paying an exorbitant fee, sometimes up to $1200/mo., or go without medications and check-ups that could prove to be life-saving down the road.

Still confused?

[Flavor]

Why? I don't care what answer they would give, she was raped, unasked for sex by a crazed man, who took it upon himself to drag her and rape her, no fault of hers. Nothing, they would say would make it right to excuse her from coverage nothing, no nothing.

[Les1Mis]

What a disgrace. No one should take pride in being an American. This country has been taken over by corporations and business interests. It's not even a democracy anymore and a sorry excuse for what once was an industrialized nation. This country has become a sick joke.

[Cye]

Agree. Stories like this just highlight what a sorry state the country is in. All the protest and propoganda about the so-called "socialisation of medicine" just adds to the picture of a country that has really lost its way.

[jennylynn]

So when are you moving to France?

[Joe The Nerd Ferraro - Huffpost Blogger]

anyone interested in staging sit-ins at waffling congresspeople's offices this friday?

[jennylynn]

Don't you have a job?

[Joe The Nerd Ferraro - Huffpost Blogger]

business is a little slow. i may as well do something positive.

[Jeff1958]

Which insurance company employs you?

[RightsGuy]

Today - Wednesday, October 28th-- the next wave of the Mobilization for Health Care for All begins. Go here to see the locations of the 19 actions around the country: http://www.healthcare-now.org/the-next-wave-of-actions/

For more info: http://mobilizeforhealthcare.org/

[Yeah-Me]

This story though makes me wonder... People in the medical field who experience an accidental needle poke from an HIV positive person, as well as those acting as first responders­/ERT's/EMT­'s who interact with HIV people in accident situations may also go though these kinds of preventative remedies.

I wonder if any of these people have faced similar situations of losing their coverage because of this...

[KindOne]

That is why the issue is such a big deal. First responders are regularly denied coverage. It is a scandal.

[Huminawah]

Only in this country will a first responders life be denied due to occupation. I guess they are supposed to save their own lives?

[gotsmarter]

Thank you, Christina, for doing an excellent job of sharing your powerful story. After hearing a story such as this, anyone who says they don't support a public insurance option because they don't trust the government is surely supporting the party of NO. Look what a mess the free enterprise insurance company created for Christina after she was brutalized and after she followed what her doctors told her to do! Unconsionable in the USA!

I'm on Medicare with added supplementary insurance, and I believe the government has done a wonderful job. I'm able to see my doctor within a day if I have to. Medicare pays for the service, and if the doctor has to charge more for the procedure, supplemental insurance is pressured to pay the rest of the doctor's fee. I trust my doctor to say what I need and to be honest about billing. I expect Medicare and my supplemental insurance to pay for what my doctor says is necessary. And, with government insurance, that is exactly what happens. Government health care is fair for all.

In the USA, no one should have to suffer the indignity that Christina suffered at the hands of free enterprise insurance companies. If government were in charge of the public option, she would have been treated better.

[RevBookburn]

Thank you for sharing your story. It's even more proof what lowlifes the insurance industry leaders are.

[1will]

Yes, the system will clearly work perfectly once the government is in charge. We've seen that already with the IRS, DMV and FEMA.

[gotsmarter]

Government and business have been left on their own for too long. Regulation and oversight will help keep them honest. A culture of greed, a lack of ethincs, and weak oversight and regulations have caused a terrible breakdown. Stick with our President and you'll continue to see vast improvements.

[jennylynn]

You have to LOVE these tax credit stories!! too funny. No Thanks for Health Care.

[Progressneeded]

As a matter of fact they ever allow you to skip a payment? They fulfill the purpose for which they were established perfectly!

[Collielady]

Would the same insurance rules apply to a man who had been raped? Anybody know?

[Yeah-Me]

Quite possibly...

[Betsie]

Not sure as most insurance will cover Vigra but not birth control pills.

Remember when the reporter asked McCain why the insurance industry did this and he slobbered and couldn't answer her question?

[jennylynn]

We're not even certain we have all the facts. CNN didn't get the Insurance company's side of the story.

[EveryCliche]

What is wrong with you? Seriously? Do you want her to prove to you that she was raped too. Do you not think that the Huffington Post Investigative Fund, who originally heard about the story didn't do the research? Do you not think CNN did a little research as well? Since you have insurance I'm sure you don't really care what happens to other but I lived for two years without insurance because I couldn't afford it and yes I did have a job. It seems to me that you have nothing useful to add to this conversation, just the same random comments over and over again. If you can add something useful I would be more then willing to listen.

[IWW]

HEALTH CARE DENIAL SHOULD BE CRIMINAL AND DULY PROSECUTED.

[jennylynn]

Even for those who puposely are obese, smoke, drink in excess and live dangerously?

[Zeus9000]

Ha ha ha! Nice... these are tough questions. Wonder if they will get answered?

[stryker]

The repub answer to this? "Don't get raped!"

[katychicago]

This is a perfect example of why we must have health care reform in the United States. No one should be victimized for being a victim.