I know a lot of you donated to my cousin Ken's cancer treatment. THANK YOU FOR THAT!!

I wanted to update you on his fight to make his insurance company cover his treatment. For those who didn't know, United Healthcare refused to cover his much needed proton therapy, calling it experimental- which it isn't- and ignored the mandate in their policy stating that they ARE covered for proton therapy. The insurance company is also refusing to cover the nutrient formula for his feeding tube- in essence, cutting off his food supply.

RANT NOTICE: (Ken is not in hospice care, for goodness sake, he's very much alive and kicking, a man my age who is still working! He managed, despite not being able to speak, to sign two contracts for new homes last week! But nooooooooo, United, he doesn't need food, of course not! )

He is unable to have traditional radiation therapy because the last time he had throat cancer (and no, he never smoked a day in his life!) he was given radiation. If they irradiate the same area again, he will have to be on a feeding tube permanently, it will destroy his ability to speak, and he will have a miserable quality of life until he dies, which could be as soon as six months, but probably won't be longer than 2 years. The proton therapy is now the only thing that gives him any chance to returning to health with an excellent quality of life.

This is what Ken has posted on his Facebook page this morning:

"Outstanding news! Appeal of healthcare insurance denial for proton radiation resulted in Peer-to-peer review between Dr. Steven Frank and UHC's Outside Radiation Oncologist. On Tuesday, the appeal was upheld, the denial overturned, and UHC is paying for 80% of my proton radiation treatments. That is such a relief! Now onto the next battle; the appeal process to reverse UHC's refusal to pay for feeding tube nutrition."

His company, Better Homes and Gardens/Gary Greene Realtors, is hosting a benefit for him in early April to try and help cover as much the leftover expenses as possible, and of course, his GoFundme page is still open and accepting donations.

Things are looking up!!