Insurance & Personal Injury Attorney in Claremont, California
The Harvoni Cases
The Harvoni Cases
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We represented several clients who had hepatitis C and when Harvoni came on the market it was a wonder drug and still is. It has a 99 percent cure rate for hepatitis C and it’s basically, either an eight to 12-week regimen with very little side effects. The problem was that it was incredibly expensive. A hundred thousand dollars for one patient and when claims were made to get the Harvoni an FDA approved drug, the insurance companies were basically telling the patients, our clients, we’re going to wait till you’re stage three or four. In other words, you are not sick enough to get the treatment. And we, of course, thought that was preposterous. And at the end of doing these cases we changed their medical policy and resulted in the insurance companies, the HMOs paying for the drug because they should have done it in the first place.
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Los Angeles, CA personal injury lawyer Ricardo Echeverria talks about memorable case in he was able to change medical policy regarding a life saving drug we represented a group of clients who were diagnosed with hepatitis C, a serious medical condition. When Harvoni, a revolutionary drug with a 99 percent cure rate for hepatitis C, entered the market, it offered hope for those affected by the disease. The treatment regimen typically lasted eight to 12 weeks and had minimal side effects. However, there was a significant hurdle: the exorbitant cost. With a price tag of $100,000 for a single patient, obtaining Harvoni through insurance claims proved challenging.
The insurance companies, in response to the claims made by our clients, took an unjustifiable stance. They insisted on waiting until the patients reached stage three or four of the disease, deeming them “not sick enough” to receive the treatment. Naturally, we found this approach preposterous. Throughout our legal proceedings, we fought to change the insurers’ medical policies and hold them accountable for their refusal to cover the necessary treatment. Our efforts aimed to ensure that these insurance companies and HMOs fulfilled their obligation to provide coverage for an FDA-approved drug that should have been accessible from the beginning.
Ultimately, our endeavors succeeded in shifting the policies of these insurance companies. They were compelled to pay for the Harvoni treatment, a decision that should have been made without delay, as our clients deserved timely access to the potentially life-saving medication. By resolving these cases, we contributed to transforming the landscape of medical coverage and advocated for the rights of our clients to receive the treatment they needed.
