Health insurance is broken

High co-pays, delays, denials, burdensome red tape, and murky PBM pricing practices can make accessing innovative treatments–or even seemingly routine healthcare–a daunting task, even when prescribed by our doctors. We are working hard to fix health insurance, and your stories can make a real difference.

Constant Battle for Coverage

Proper insurance should provide access to prescribed medicines, period. Unfortunately, many health plans impose cumbersome prior authorization processes and high out-of-pocket expenses, making it difficult for doctors to prescribe and patients to access the care they need. Help us advocate for reforms that cap out-of-pocket costs and ensure the insurance premiums you pay when healthy cover the care you need when sick or injured.

“ It takes a toll on my monthly budget. I’ve had to not pay for other things I need to[, in order to] pay off medical expenses.” — Beata Zawada, Illinois

“It takes a toll on my monthly budget. I’ve had to not pay for other things I need to[, in order to] pay off medical expenses.”

—Beata Zawada, Illinois

"[The cost of healthcare causes] financial hardships and added pressure to maintain work for both parents on top of the constant [specialist medical] needs of our complex child and [an]other child who is younger. Time equals money - and if we don’t

"[The cost of healthcare causes] financial hardships and added pressure to maintain work for both parents on top of the constant [specialist medical] needs of our complex child and [an]other child who is younger. Time equals money - and if we don’t have money[,] we need to wait and wait and wait for the system [to work. But if we] end up waiting [too long, we] risk regression."

—Dalal Baumgartner

“Insurance started [the process, but] never finished. If we were well enough we would have gone to court. [The whole process with my insurance caused significant] emotional strain. I have no office. I'm disabled. [They] said it was okay to fax [over

“Insurance started [the process, but] never finished. If we were well enough we would have gone to court. [The whole process with my insurance caused significant] emotional strain. I have no office. I'm disabled. [They] said it was okay to fax [over my paperwork, but even] that costs money. First I'm told it was received, then not received. Then they told me they could not read it. It's one thing after another….[the] system is not working. Stop using bureaucrats to decide our treatments. Listen to [the actual] doctors.”

—Debbie Nassau, Maryland

“The insurance carrier repeatedly insisted other treatments may be as effective [to manage my eczema and allergic rhinitis], even though I was clearly allergic to one or more ingredients. [They] dragged the process out by insisting on additional appe

“The insurance carrier repeatedly insisted other treatments may be as effective [to manage my eczema and allergic rhinitis], even though I was clearly allergic to one or more ingredients. [They] dragged the process out by insisting on additional appeals, requesting treatment notes from the same doctor but previous practice…before agreeing to cover the medication in question 5 months later. Some patients do not have the patience to wait 5 months for treatment, and just give up seeking medical care, thinking it is all futile as none of the treatments will be covered. [All of the back and forth with my insurance] left me in limbo, with [my] providers feeling powerless…We tried all other viable options with lackluster results.”

—Lana Citowsky, Massachusetts

“ It takes a toll on my monthly budget. I’ve had to not pay for other things I need to[, in order to] pay off medical expenses.” — Beata Zawada, Illinois

“It takes a toll on my monthly budget. I’ve had to not pay for other things I need to[, in order to] pay off medical expenses.”

—Beata Zawada, Illinois

“The insurance carrier repeatedly insisted other treatments may be as effective [to manage my eczema and allergic rhinitis], even though I was clearly allergic to one or more ingredients. [They] dragged the process out by insisting on additional appe

“The insurance carrier repeatedly insisted other treatments may be as effective [to manage my eczema and allergic rhinitis], even though I was clearly allergic to one or more ingredients. [They] dragged the process out by insisting on additional appeals, requesting treatment notes from the same doctor but previous practice…before agreeing to cover the medication in question 5 months later. Some patients do not have the patience to wait 5 months for treatment, and just give up seeking medical care, thinking it is all futile as none of the treatments will be covered. [All of the back and forth with my insurance] left me in limbo, with [my] providers feeling powerless…We tried all other viable options with lackluster results.”

—Lana Citowsky, Massachusetts

"[The cost of healthcare causes] financial hardships and added pressure to maintain work for both parents on top of the constant [specialist medical] needs of our complex child and [an]other child who is younger. Time equals money - and if we don’t

"[The cost of healthcare causes] financial hardships and added pressure to maintain work for both parents on top of the constant [specialist medical] needs of our complex child and [an]other child who is younger. Time equals money - and if we don’t have money[,] we need to wait and wait and wait for the system [to work. But if we] end up waiting [too long, we] risk regression."

—Dalal Baumgartner

“Insurance started [the process, but] never finished. If we were well enough we would have gone to court.” “[The whole process with my insurance caused significant] emotional strain. I have no office. I'm disabled. [They] said it was okay to fax [o

“Insurance started [the process, but] never finished. If we were well enough we would have gone to court.” “[The whole process with my insurance caused significant] emotional strain. I have no office. I'm disabled. [They] said it was okay to fax [over my paperwork, but even] that costs money. First I'm told it was received, then not received. Then they told me they could not read it. It's one thing after another….[the] system is not working. Stop using bureaucrats to decide our treatments. Listen to [the actual] doctors.”

—Debbie Nassau, Maryland

Access to Innovative Medicines

Modern science holds the promise of transforming healthcare outcomes, but only if patients can actually access these new treatments. Drug development is expensive, and without proper incentives, most scientific breakthroughs would never leave the lab. At No Patient Left Behind, we're committed to supporting the development of groundbreaking medicines while keeping costs manageable. By ensuring that medicines go generic without undue delay, we can ensure new cures are viable and affordable to those who need them.

"I had an extremely aggressive [form of] breast cancer. In the 3 weeks between my biopsy & surgery it doubled in size. Without Herceptin, my statistical chance of surviving 5 years was nil. That was 15 years ago. " — Weeza Matthias, ME

"I had an extremely aggressive [form of] breast cancer. In the 3 weeks between my biopsy & surgery it doubled in size. Without Herceptin, my statistical chance of surviving 5 years was nil. That was 15 years ago."

—Weeza Matthias, ME

“ It took me 4 months to save up for screening. I’m still waiting for test results, but, if confirmed as suspected, it will save my life. The sooner an illness or disorder is identified, the better it is for my prognosis. When I need medical atten

“It took me 4 months to save up for screening. I’m still waiting for test results, but, if confirmed as suspected, it will save my life. The sooner an illness or disorder is identified, the better it is for my prognosis. When I need medical attention I need it NOW, not later. With breast cancer, every minute counts toward successful treatment and metastasis spread. Let doctors be doctors and let patients heal. It does me no good to have doctors if they CANNOT treat me. High copays & diagnostics limit me to 1 doctor or test per month. My heart issue was spaced over 3 months; liver spaced over 3 months; lungs over 5 months. I still have dental, eyes & hearing [issues] to address [too] …[but] I guess that's [going to have to wait until] next year.”

—Mary Carol Herrington, Texas

"I had an extremely aggressive [form of] breast cancer. In the 3 weeks between my biopsy & surgery it doubled in size. Without Herceptin, my statistical chance of surviving 5 years was nil. That was 15 years ago. " — Weeza Matthias, ME

"I had an extremely aggressive [form of] breast cancer. In the 3 weeks between my biopsy & surgery it doubled in size. Without Herceptin, my statistical chance of surviving 5 years was nil. That was 15 years ago."

—Weeza Matthias, ME

“ It took me 4 months to save up for screening. I’m still waiting for test results, but, if confirmed as suspected, it will save my life. The sooner an illness or disorder is identified, the better it is for my prognosis. When I need medical atten

“It took me 4 months to save up for screening. I’m still waiting for test results, but, if confirmed as suspected, it will save my life. The sooner an illness or disorder is identified, the better it is for my prognosis. When I need medical attention I need it NOW, not later. With breast cancer, every minute counts toward successful treatment and metastasis spread. Let doctors be doctors and let patients heal. It does me no good to have doctors if they CANNOT treat me. High copays & diagnostics limit me to 1 doctor or test per month. My heart issue was spaced over 3 months; liver spaced over 3 months; lungs over 5 months. I still have dental, eyes & hearing [issues] to address [too] …[but] I guess that's [going to have to wait until] next year.”

—Mary Carol Herrington, Texas

Assessing the Value of Medicines

What’s a medicine worth? In the U.S., drug pricing feels like a mystery, but it’s a fairly simple calculation—research costs, health impact, and market demand. The problem? It ignores what matters to patients: quality of life, caregiver burdens, avoided hospital stays, and the hope a treatment provides.

This narrow math undervalues life-changing medicines, making them unaffordable or just out of reach. Worse, insurers rely on this flawed math to deny coverage, harming patients today and discouraging future innovation by turning investors away from funding new treatments.

When a drug is worth its price to society, insurance should make it affordable—with low out-of-pocket costs, shared through premiums. That’s NPLB’s mission.

Sharing your story helps expose what’s missing in the equation and drive change to ensure medicine prices reflect what truly matters to patients. 

“[It’s important for patient perspectives to be considered in value assessments and healthcare policy decisions…] because as patients, along with our doctors, we know our needs best. ” — Kay Davidson, Kansas

“[It’s important for patient perspectives to be considered in value assessments and healthcare policy decisions…] because as patients, along with our doctors, we know our needs best.”

—Kay Davidson, Kansas

“[My] relative cannot afford newer developments such as continuous glucose monitors and occasionally has hypoglycemic unawareness. “The golden rule should apply. At least the thought of what if this was you or your loved one's situation should fact

“[My] relative cannot afford newer developments such as continuous glucose monitors and occasionally has hypoglycemic unawareness. “The golden rule should apply. At least the thought of what if this was you or your loved one's situation should factor in [to value assessments and healthcare policy] decisions.”

—Anonymous

“[It’s important for patient perspectives to be considered in value assessments and healthcare policy decisions…] because as patients, along with our doctors, we know our needs best. ” — Kay Davidson, Kansas

“[It’s important for patient perspectives to be considered in value assessments and healthcare policy decisions…] because as patients, along with our doctors, we know our needs best.”

—Kay Davidson, Kansas

“[My] relative cannot afford newer developments such as continuous glucose monitors and occasionally has hypoglycemic unawareness. “The golden rule should apply. At least the thought of what if this was you or your loved one's situation should fact

“[My] relative cannot afford newer developments such as continuous glucose monitors and occasionally has hypoglycemic unawareness. “The golden rule should apply. At least the thought of what if this was you or your loved one's situation should factor in [to value assessments and healthcare policy] decisions.”

—Anonymous

Thank You to Our Brave Storytellers

Thank you to everyone who has bravely come forward to share their experience. The stories we’ve collected reveal the harsh realities of a broken health insurance system that often prioritizes profit over patient care. The system's influence is so powerful that many of those who shared their stories have chosen to remain anonymous. Their voices, though anonymous, are powerful testaments to the urgent need for change.

Have a similar story?

Share your experience and join us in advocating for change.