South Carolina a resident Raymond Johnson, fighting a rare case of male breast cancer and fighting a federal funding program that denied him coverage because of his gender, received good news this week when he was told that the health department of the state of South Carolina is stepping up in his defense. In doing so, the state has taken the concern and the financial responsibility out of his hands, freeing him to focus on his treatment and recovery.
Johnson was originally considered ineligible for the Medicaid Breast and Cervical Cancer Program because the program stipulates that the patient must be female. Johnson's case caught the attention of the national media, and the state's health department has rectified the wrong, agreeing to pay for the coverage and submit the claim to the federal government for reimbursement.
If denied, the state will appeal, but it could end up absorbing tens of thousands of dollars for Johnson's treatment.
This story is especially meaningful considering the role played by a patient advocate, who alerted Johnson to the federal program because he lacks private health insurance but didn't qualify for Medicaid—except under this program, remains open only to women.
