December 16, 2024
HEALTH CARE un-covered published previously, for eight grueling months, Jennifer Braunagel endured debilitating pain from rheumatoid arthritis while her insurance company, Aetna, denied coverage for Actemra, the only medication that offered hope. Her struggles were both emotional and physical – confronting endless roadblocks like prior authorization and step therapy, tactics big health insurers like Aetna, Cigna and UnitedHealth use to cut costs at patients’ expense.Braunagel’s breakthrough came through a startup called Claimable, which uses AI to streamline and supercharge the appeals process. By leveraging data from similar cases and highlighting violations of insurance guidelines, Claimable crafted an appeal that succeeded where traditional methods failed. Within days Braunagel’s insurer was forced to cover her medicine. The results were life-changing — Braunagel experienced dramatic relief after her first infusion.
This mini documentary, “Overturned,” with photography by Ashley Gilbertson and edited by Julie Winokur of Talking Eyes Media, features Braunagel’s story, her arthritis clinic’s tireless advocacy, and interviews with other patients, who are navigating systemic health care barriers and denials by big health insurers.
