CNN

Here are other perspectives related to this issue:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/01102008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/edwards_evil_insurance_scam_797339.htm

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120001235968882563.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

There is nothing worst than a parent loosing a child. Especially in a country like the USA. Insurance companies must be forced to put lives before profits. I want the Sarkisyans to know that everyone is proud of them for having the courage to create awareness on an issue that resonates with so many people across the country. Every Presidential candidate must do what they can to create awareness and find real solutions for our health care issues.

Nataline was an amazing child. She touched so many lives while on earth and now she continues to touch lives while in heaven.

Just because she was on the transplant list does not mean she could have gotten a liver. She had only been on the list for two weeks, and sometimes it takes months or years to get a compatible organ. She had leukemia. She was not an otherwise healthy person. I'll just bet there's more to this case than meets the eye and it will come out when it goes to court.

Edwards IS a trial lawyer, after all, and made his millions by suing the pants off corporations, who pass these expenses on to the consumer. Thanks a lot. I suppose it will be the sport of the day now for trial lawyers to go after big insurance companies, just like it's been a sport to go after the drug companies. I'm not saying that the insurance industry is perfect and doesn't need to be reformed and regulated – - it does. However, suing them for millions, and in the end having the average Joe paying for it is not the answer.

Also, I notice that her parents got the same lawyer that defended Michael Jackson and Scott Peterson. Nice.

Edwards can try all the issues, raise any objection, run all the 527 third party ads, but with public money he is no match for Hillary and/or Obama in 2008.

Go Hillary44 08! http://hillaryis44.org/

"Everything he has (via his trial work, etc.) he got the old fashioned way – HE EARNED IT!"

Posted By J Williamson Bufalo, NY

++++++++

OH, you mean like the Kennedy's, John Kerry, John Rockefeller and the like? Come on, enough of the class warfare horse****?! Enough of the Good Dems, Bad Repubs nonsense. Edwards is nothing but an opportunist, looking for the big strike. Do you honestly think he is philanthropist living in a 28000 SF mansion that is surrounded by shanty trailers. That is beyond absurd.

This is low, even for THIS Ambulance Chaser. He doesn't give crap about the Sarkisyan family. He's just wising he could get a piece of the 'pie'.

The cost of a liver transplant currently averages about $280,000 for immediate hospital and doctor expenses. Necessary pre- and post-operative expenses bring the total to about $314,000 and in some especially complicated cases much more. Follow-up care in the years after a transplant is an additional cause for concern.

Even patients whose transplants are covered by insurance find that they must raise a substantial part of the funds needed for their treatment themselves. The American Liver Foundation (ALF) established the Transplant Fund Program to assist patients and families in this essential task.

For more helpful details you can visit:
http://www.liverfoundation.org/patients/transplantfund/about

Shame on you John Edwards for thinking that you can use the honest, valid concerns of the American people to get elected. The right thing to do would be to get elected based on noncontroversial topics, to stay in the shadows, and to cow to the inane ramblings of morons that think it's "tacky" to talk about death.

Edwards knows and cares about the concerns of the common man and woman. Nataline's death is really the perfect example of what is happening, not just to the United States' impoverished citizens, but also to its middle class citizens as well. The rich are getting richer and everyone else is getting poorer.

Earth to Alice Newman: it is painfully obvious that you lack broad mental capacity and suffer from severe tunnel vision. Jacque Bauer's comments clearly refer to the disgusting way that Johnny Trial Lawyer continually uses human tragedy (such as his son's death and wife's terminal illness) for his own selfish gain. Bauer's comments had nothing to do with the specifics of this case but that, as almost any clear thinking person will echo, Edwards has absolutely no compassion for this individual either (other than how it can get him votes). Remember Edwards' statements to John Kerry (twice!) about the death of his son – if you are not aware of this, I suggest you find out. It was (in Kerry's own words) "chilling". He is an utterly pathetic dirt bag...

John Edwards is not doing anything inappropriate by making comments about America's corporate interest in our so called health care systems. Americans are forced into paying for a corporate scamming system that is ironically and systematically abusing everyone of us. So much so that a family now has to bury their 17 year old daughter. SHAME ON YOU CIGNA!Every politician should take a stand and let us American's know what they think. How else can we make in informed and intelligent decision when we step into the voting booth?

John Edwards is the most smart and hard-working Dem out there. Everything he has (via his trial work, etc.) he got the old fashioned way – HE EARNED IT! Unlike the Bush dynasty which hands down it's wealth and privelidge to its less than stellar offspring (read Geo W., but there are many more) Edwards came up from an extremely modest background. Repubs talk of America as being the land of opportunity, etc., etc., but when a Dem makes it to the big-time (B. Clinton, Edwards) they can't stand it. Keep on with the health care talk, Mr. Edwards – it's making the HMO leader-ship upset that their golden-apple cart may soon tip over.

Edwards is a medical malpractice attorney. This isn't a morality issue to him; it's about money. Who can I sue next? Can you imagine the future of law in this country if a former medical malpractice attorney became president?

In capitalist economy, an individual has to pay for each need and want.

Life of an individual in this capitalist economy has a cost associated with it. This is no secret.

The dark side of this whole episode is that health insurance companies do not pay for sick people. The health insurance industry is designed based upon the premise that it shares the cost of medical expenses for healthy individuals, and excludes sick individuals.

Health insurance industry is a cold blooded system designed by individuals who have little respect for life and has strayed away from humanely principle to safe a life.

The motive of health insurance industry is to make money, because its survival is based on how well it performs on the stock market rather than how individual patients view its services.

The solution to "Universal Healthcare" is not to create another insurance provided and funded by state, but can be as follows:

1. Disassociate healthcare providers from healthcare insurance providers – President Bush should have included this nexus in his "axis of evil". Because the number of people who die or get permanently disabled in US from lack of heathcare is far more than any war that US engages in.

2. Increase competition in health care industry – Increase health care work force (Doctors/Nurses/Specialist) by providing incentives to youth to pursue medical education in universities/school.

3. Increase competition in health care industry by importing skilled healthcare workforce (doctors/nurses/specialist) from abroad by creating a separate medical workforce VISA category.

The arguement of medical community that foreign doctors are not qualified enogh to practice in US, is a fallacy, in light of the fact that about 30% of critical care patients are going abroad to get treatment (to places like Mexico, Canada, Asia, Europe, South America).

The current USMLE system is insufficient/inadequate because not all qualified candidates from universities abroad can even afford to go through the admission process and is biased and reeks of discrimination.

I have a somewhat contrasting view than the majority here.
Currently our health care system is fairly liberal about approving treatments that are semi-proven (likely for fear of litigation). The system generally fails the uninsured more so than the insured.

However, if one were to approve every semi-proven treatment – and let me clarify that liver transplant is proven, but liver transplant in a patient with cancer and in a medically induced vegetative state for 2 weeks is a bit more radical – then we as a nation have to be willing to pay for it.

So I think we need to make a decision as a nation when to finally say 'no' – because there are not limitless resources. In this case, perhaps the right answer was 'yes' – keep going with care until the bitter end. But it can't be that way for every patient, everywhere.

According Jacque Bauer, " Johnny Trial Lawyer is plenty upset that he can't go after that one in court right now… "

its perfectly ok for the insurance company to decide who lives and who dies ... depending on the cost ... be careful Jacque Bauer, this may be you or your family in the next year ....

Looks like Jacque Bauer is one of the minority who believes big business has the right to sr..w the people – all in the name of profit... it's not John Edwards who is pathetic ... it's Jacque Bauer who is morally bankrupt.

This is really low, even for Edwards. What a nasty thing to do, compounding a family's trajedy by immediately injecting it into his political agenda and milking it for all it's worth. This man doesn't deserve classification as a human being.

The circmstances surrounding this poor girls death are awful.

And all of America grieves for this family's loss of their child.

However, former Senator Edwards inclusion of Ms. Sarkisyan in his stump speech is mercenary, cold and calculated. Shame on former Senator Edwards for being so crass, just two days following her death.

This man will do or say anything to get elected.

Loser.

You cannot put all the blame on CIGNA. If the hospitals and nurses were so upset about the denial, why did they not simply proceed with the procedure and then appeal with the insurance after saving the girls life? What would they have done if there was no insurance involved? I have seen so many stories here on CNN about American doctors and hospitals giving free services to children from other countries but when it comes to American children its up to the insurance company? As much as we despise insurance companies think about if there weren't any. Do you think American doctors would be providing these expensive services at a discount or free for the poor? As an attorney Edwards is aware of this and it is an atrocity he is using this as an appeal to emotions and not to facts.

If this story is not upsetting to you then you must be a Republican and accept the fact that the insurance companies are playing doctor.The Republican party believes that the all mighty dollar is more important then a human life,and this proves it! Keep Republicans in power and die if you are poor.

Lets see if I can get this right...The RIGHT has a fit when Democrats show why we need to have health care reform. The RIGHTs plan is really simple they don't have one. They only care about you before your born and not after!!!! Pro-life right wingers have a real short attention span. What happened to taking care of the less fortunate in society (BIBLE) which happens to be a lot of us these days. I bet the rich get the liver they need!!!!

This isn't a joke?

Are the insurance company officers being held for murder?

Cameron's Rules of "Not Solving the Problem"

1) Avoid addressing actual issue
2) Make snide remarks about politicians
3) Sit back and blog about how proud of yourself you are

I know the words "Michael Moore" induce nausea in many people, but you really should check out Sicko. I watched it and was extremely disappointed that our country (starting with Nixon) had given away the ability to receive quality and informed healthcare to corporate "America".

Once a scummy sleazy ambulance chaser always a scummy sleazy ambulance chaser.

Make note of this democrats and all Americans for that matter. This guy is a dirtbag piece of crap of the higest order and does not care one bit about the families suffering, nor tact, integrity or being remotely presidential.

You are scum John Edwards and given the chance I would proudly spit in your eye.

Complcit is this is an insurance company worried about profits and a hospital which puts deposits before care ahead of performing life saving procedures. We need a wholesale revision of the medical care system – which places the goals of the accountants secondary to the needs of the patient.

Shame on you Edwards, for using such a sensitive issue for your political gain. This is very typical of your opportunistic trail lawyer approach. After exploiting such cases to earn millions of dollars over the years, now you are trying to use this innocent girl’s death for your advantage. If you honestly care about her, why don’t you volunteer to take the case?

Give 'em hell John Edwards. It's about time we had a candidate who isn't beholden to the big insurance companies and other big groups like pharma and oil.

Edwards will make a difference in this country so there will be no more 17 year old Nataline's who die at the decision of an insurance company.

Keith's Rules of Political Sleaze:

1) Deny, Deny, Deny...

2) Pander to the lowest possible base....

3) Exploit the pain and suffering of the unfortunate...

4) Enhance the pain and suffering of the fortunate...

5) Get a haircut, dress appropriately...

Children should not be dying in this country because available medical care could not be delivered to the sick. Our medical system is broken if children are dying from lack of care.

My God !! When is this stupidity going to stop? We cannot relinquish to the benefits manager at CIGNA (or any other insurance company) the life or death decision involved in a medical procedure for a patient on the verge of death. This should be left for the hospital/doctor to decide. The people at CIGNA denied a liver transplant procedure to Nathalie because the doctors gave it a 65% chance of survival? WHO GIVES A **** IF THERE WAS ONLY A 5% SURVIVAL CHANCE!!?? Mr. Edwards and all the other presidential candidates - DO SOMETHING TO STOP THIS STUPID MADNESS AND LET THE DOCTORS DO THEIR JOBS!!!!!

And yet–his plan (followed by B.O. and Clinton) insists on EXPANDING insurance companies!

Dennis Kucinich or Ron Paul, but vote NOTHING in between! It's not exploitative if they talked about it–but for Edwards, it's wrong.

Thank goodness one of the candidates is speaking up about this tragedy!

...I want a president who acknowledges the cruel reality of our CORPORATE healthcare system: Corporations decide who lives and who dies!

Insurance premiums have gone up because of CORPORATE GREED,*NOT* because insurance costs for doctors have gone up. (That's the cover story!) It's just like in the film "Sicko."

My heart goes out to the Sarkisyan family. This could have happened to anyone's child This family *had* health insurance, and they did all of the right things.

And, just imagine if you were one of the 45 million uninsured Americans. Hmmmm...

John Edwards has my vote!

It's about time one of the candidates brought this up. What happened to this poor girl is completely and utterly disgusting. We live in the richest country in the world, and we let people die like they are nothing more than cattle, because "it's too expensive", despite the insurance premiums being paid and the doctors all saying to approve it!

Give 'em hell, John! There is blood on the hands of these SoBs!

LIKE I SAID IN THE PREVIOUS EDWARDS
ITEM COMMENTS. INSURANCE COMPANIES
ARE THE ONLY INDUSTRY THAT GAMBLES
THAT THEY WON'T HAVE TO GIVE YOU
ANYTHING FOR YOUR MONEY. THEY WANT
TO COLLECT PREMIUMS. ....THAT'S IT.
MEDICINE SHOULD BE CONTROLLED BY THE
FREE MARKET... INSURANCE PREMIUMS
SHOULD BE PAID THRU' A GOV'T AGENCY.
THE WAY WE PAY OUR PREMIUMS TO THE
GOV'T TO INSURE US AGAINST AGGRESSION
FOREIGN & DOMESTIC. PAY OUR PREMIUMS
THRU' THE GOV'T TO PROTECT US AGAINST
DISASTER OF OTHER KINDS. WORKS FOR ME.

Wow some major health care reform is needed NOW.

how about some more details. which company, why, etc. how are the insurance co going to be held accountable without info

Yeah, Johnny Trial Lawyer is plenty upset that he can't go after that one in court right now... (Until he gets bounced out of the Primary, that is). Pathetic.