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Man Refused Medicaid For Breast Cancer Treatment Because Of Gender

Posted by Pelliciari on August 9, 2011

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Photo: MesserWoland (CC)

If you’re a man you can’t get breast cancer. False. If you’re a man you can’t get medicaid to cover treatment for breast cancer. True. International Business Times reports:

Raymond Johnson, 26, a construction worker who makes $9 an hour, was diagnosed with breast cancer about a month ago, after he checked himself into the emergency room because of a throbbing pain from a lump in his chest.

However, Johnson’s job of laying down tile does not make enough to pay for treatment, amounting in $10,000 worth of medical costs.

“We are again urging [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services] to reconsider,” the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement. “It’s a very clear example of how overly rigid federal regulations don’t serve the interests of the people we’re supposed to be helping.”

The uninsured 26-year-old was reportedly stunned when doctors delivered his diagnosis – breast cancer – and shortly after was denied coverage through the state health insurance program, Medicaid, which provides medical treatment for breast cancer patients merely because he’s a man.

[Continues at International Business Times]

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  • Anonymous

    Why was this even an issue in the first place? If you’ve got a health issue, and the state insurance treats that, who then goes and writes up a law that makes it dependent on an irrelevant factor? Would he need sex reassignment surgery for the state to actually recognize his condition and follow through on what they already cover?

  • Anonymous

    I think it’s safe to assume that when “breast cancer” was added it was part of an attempt to shore up failings in what the insurance covered for women. That’s the case in a lot of places as best I can tell. So it would have been added as some kind of “women’s health” program. It’s stupid and it comes from assuming that anything that falls into a stereotype about either gender must be exclusive to that gender.

  • Bigdickmegaherz

    Some people are born with mixed organs and have terrible hormonal imbalances. If they won’t treat a mans moobs you can imagine how ignorant they are to some one born gender challenged. This sickens me. 

  • Anonymous

    This shouldn’t even be a gender issue. Any healthcare professional should know that Men, albeit rarely, can develop breast cancer.

    Which is why it’s the usual suspects to blame, Lawmakers.

  • Mamagriff50

    He needs to file a law suit against the state and federal government, discrimination. I am quite sure they’re are plenty of lawyers who would do this pro bono.

  • http://voxmagi-necessarywords.blogspot.com/ VoxMagi

    Again…its never really about rules, or health, or morals…or anything else…its always about saying no and keeping the money. Always. All the side issues are just excuses. Like with education and teachers…or with unemployment or welfare…its about finding a loophole that lets the money stay where it is and never leave…either in state or federal budgets, or insurance companies and banks…the same principle is at work: “How can we get this money…and then never let it go?” Maybe the solution lies in finding ways to never let them have it in the first place if we know they’re going to work overtime finding ways not to release it back to us when we need it?

  • DeepCough

    Whoa, wait, this is true? I thought it was just a kooky subplot from the HBO series “OZ.”

  • Anonymous

    Breast cancer can happen with men.  Peter Criss from the band KISS had it too.  This is such arbitrary bullshit that our notions of being “free” or obtaining “liberty” doesn’t mean jack in our disillusioned “democracy” unless you have a very high balance in a bank account.  Money is tyranny.  Money talks.  (Sorry with all the Classic Rock references.)  I am beginning to believe those conspiracy theories where the Constitution only applies to the signatories

  • Guest

    gender is a relevant factor in the eyes of business.  

  • Guest

    gender is a relevant factor in the eyes of business.