Can This Be True?

[nygirl7]

My bosses wife was asking me about treatment for someone they know. She says that they will not transplant him because he is gay - the insurance company is refusing for that reason.

I just cannot find it in me to believe such a thing could be possible in this day and age.  I said perhaps it was because the person wasn't sober - then it could be a real reason but I just can't believe that they would deny someone on their sexual preference.

I've never seen this asked before so I thought I'd see if anyone knows so I could respond with something better than 'that doesn't seem right'.

Deb

[chuckles333]

I know that in some countries they have, and still do, reject organ/blood donations from homosexuals (mostly males) but I've never heard of it affecting eligibility as a recipient. I suppose anything's possible.

[Bill1954]

It sounds as though there’s been a misunderstanding somewhere, Deb; that’s all I can guess—

Bill

[Bill1954]

And no, it doesn't seem right :o). I imagine they could contact the hospital ombudsman, or UNOS for that matter; but I imagine they won't have to go that far before it's resolved--

Bill

[nygirl7]

That's what I thought too - they live in Florida so it's not even a remote backwater country (although Florida might be considered a country unto itself by some ;)

Thank you. Just doesn't sound right to me.

[FlGuy]

From my own observations, most of the transplants in Florida are people who move away from new york.  Since we don't discriminate against transplanting new yorkers there is no reason to think that we would discriminate against transplanting gay people. Can't say the same about people from new jersey, though.

[mj6000]

I can't see this as being true at all. If they did deny on that basis he could sue for millions.

[mj6000]

I think there is another issue here that is not known.

[nygirl7]

Makes no sense to me either (unless as FLG says the dude is from NJ).  But it's my bossses wife who is known for being very very tricky so who knows why she REALLY was asking me questions about treatment after all these years and telling me there is no cure.

Perhaps the coming out of the closet the other day bounced to her and now she wants to know.  Cause otherwise it makes no sense to me either.

[gypsyjoey]

Wow, talk about a discimination lawsuit.

[spectda]

Does not sound correct at all. They would be leaving themselves open to a huge lawsuit. I have a hard time believing that is the reason.

[nygirl7]

Thanks guys I am going to assume I'm right and the fact that I spoke openly about having had hepC for the first time the other at work just got to her and she was being nosey. It just makes no sense to me at all!

But at least I know now how quickly the work gossip patrol is!

[Trinity4]

Deb,

Your bosses wife reminds me of Teresa Giudice on the Housewives of New Jersey?
Does she sling tables accross the room?

[yodennis]

I could understand astrological compatibility or understated cleavage barriers but being gay?.....C'mon!

[banarep]

I need to go back and recheck my old law books, but I do not think it is illegal to discriminate against gays.  Immoral and unjust, but not illegal.  In the past, gays were considered to be in a risky lifestyle and that alone was enough to prohibit transplantation.  

[merryBe]

seems like co-infected might be part of the missing info.????

that will disqualify him, since the immune system can't handle the anti-rejection stuff without exacerbating the HIV.  Maybe the guy thinks it's cause he's gay, but the lions share of co-infected are gay, yet that's not why they are disqualified...

it's because their chance of survival and success are minimal, so they are at the bottom of the list for recommendations just like 80 year olds are. They are more likely to live longer without a TP.

On the other hand, they won't transplant drinkers or druggies either, for their risky behavior...so who knows...but I doubt it.  There's probably more to it than they are telling you.
There's also a whole lot of other things that disqualify people...blood disorders, yada yada yada...
Although, the way things are changing who knows....we do know insurances are refusing to treat druggies for hcv...why, because they are likely to reinfect themselves...and so the theory is it's a waste of time...and they are succeeding in their refusals where this open drug use is known...so I suppose in theory taking certain other risks could also make you a bad risk from the providers point of view.
(do not yell at me people, I'm only stating what the insurances or doctors may be thinking). (remember to get recommended for transplant your doctor has to think you are a good risk...and that means different things to different docs).
mb

[mj6000]

merryBe,you are very misinformed. I am HIV positive and my immune system is just fine. I just finished my treatment and have just had my 6 week post PCR test indicating I am still UND. Coinfection is in no way a reason not to treat. You only need to have your HIV viral load UND. There thousands upon thousands of coinfected people who treat and become UND.

[mj6000]

I meant to say thousands & thousands of coinfected people become cured of HepC...SVR.

[mj6000]

The statement you made about most of the coinfected being gay is totally false also. HIV & HepC have nothing to do with your sexual preference!

[Bill1954]

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/701942

"Central to our findings is the message that if you are HIV-positive and have any indication for liver transplantation other than hepatitis C virus [HCV], then the results are exceptionally good over the long term. There are also no differences observed from patients who are not HIV infected," Dr. O'Grady told Medscape Gastroenterology.”

As to your thoughts on the rest of it, I can’t even bring myself to comment. It’d be in the best interest of this forum if you’d bring your knowledge base into the twenty first century before you comment.

Bill

[Bill1954]

http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/2008icr/easl/docs/042908_g.html
“Conclusion: Based on these findings, the investigators concluded that, "The short term results of [orthotopic liver transplant] in HIV-infected individuals are slightly inferior when compared with those observed in HCV or HBV monoinfected [orthotopic liver transplant] recipients.”
A slightly inferior outcome is far from “that will disqualify him”.
Bill

[meakea]

Nygirl...definitely a piece of the puzzle is missing...you are right that it just can't be as your boss's wife said.  Insurance companies do a lot of odd things but I'm pretty sure they know better than to discriminate so obviously.

[nygirl7]

I know of several coinfected people who are in here right now doing just fine so that just can't be it.  Some piece of the puzzle must be missing somewhere.

And I agree I don't think being coinfected has anything to do with sexual preference necessarily - most of my old boyfriends from the 80s were certainly not gay but they died of HIV/HCV anyway. But we did do an awful lot of partying and therefore they all got the same stuff as each other. Sad.

[mikesimon]

Post liver transplant the short term mortality of HCV mono-infected and HCV/HIV co-infected is similar but, the co-infected numbers become increasingly worse over time - in the mid and long term. I would guess that most transplant centers would conduct their programs with this in mind and as a result the co-infected would likely have a significantly harder time getting an organ.
Mike

[mj6000]

Now if a coinfected person with HIV & HepC had progressed to full blown aids and the HIV meds were not working they would not be eligible for treatment or transplant.