US EditionCigna denies double lung transplant for a stage 4 cancer patient
- Daron Wells, a 59-year-old Santa Monica man with stage 4 lung cancer, was denied a double lung transplant by Cigna Healthcare in 2025.
- He was medically cleared by UCLA and Northwestern Medicine to participate in a clinical trial involving a double lung transplant, but Cigna subsequently withdrew coverage for both the transplant procedure and his transfer to Illinois.
- The transplant, considered a breakthrough clinical trial and the patient’s only chance for survival, involved a coordinated transfer across states and received backing from national cancer nonprofit organizations.
- Wells and his family launched a $1.5 million campaign, raising nearly $50,000, while Cigna stated their guidelines align with national clinical standards to ensure patient outcomes.
- Wells appealed the denial and continues to hope for coverage reversal, as medical teams remain ready and his fight for life persists amid ongoing advocacy efforts.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Coverage Denied: Cigna Blocks Life-Saving Surgery for Dying Patient
A man fighting for his life against stage 4 cancer is now battling his insurance company, Cigna, after they denied him a critical surgery that would save him. Deron Wells, 59, has been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. His doctors have approved him for a double lung transplant, the only chance he has to survive. But Cigna Healthcare has refused to cover the life-saving procedure and the emergency transport needed to get him to the hospital fo…
Krem2 News
Cigna denies double lung transplant for a stage 4 cancer patient
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths and the third most common type of cancer in the Untied States, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Insurance denies man life-saving lung transplant as he was preparing for procedure at Northwestern
A California man battling stage 4 lung cancer was preparing to fly across the country to Chicago for a life-changing double-lung transplant when his insurance company denied him coverage.
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