A former journalist is calling out Blue Cross Blue Shield for refusing to cover an assistive eating robot for her friend.
The TikTok, which has amassed almost 30,000 likes and 130,000 views, shows Olivia Mancuso—a former TV journalist—talking about her friend Kevin, who has a disability that inhibits him from raising his arms above his chest. That makes eating by himself impossible. Kevin submitted an insurance claim to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida for an Obi Robot, a robot that allows people with limited upper body function to eat unassisted.
“Without insurance, this device cost $9,700,” Mancuso says in the video. “His insurance company denied his claim for this device because they said there is no medical necessity.”
Kevin has submitted two appeals to Blue Cross Blue Shield Florida, but both were denied, according to Mancuso. Mancuso said she used her media connections to get his story covered on WGN-TV in Chicago and was able to get Kevin a pro-bono lawyer to help file his third and final appeal for the device.
“If [the third appeal] doesn’t go through, there is literally no chance of him getting this device, which would allow him to live a completely independent life covered by insurance,” she says.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida refused to respond to WGN-TV’s request for comment, reportedly citing HIPAA. The Daily Dot reached out to Blue Cross Blue Shield as well, and will update this piece if the company responds.
Commenters were quick to call out Blue Cross Blue Shield for the lack of coverage for Kevin.
“What is the point of insurance at this point? Who are they helping??” one commenter said.
“Being an adult is realizing how much of a scam insurance is and it’s exhausting,” said another.
Mancuso said in the video that Kevin does not want to set up a GoFundMe page, but many commenters say they would love to donate.
“Set up a go fund me… I’ll donate right here, right now. He deserves that machine,” one commenter says.
“Put up the go fund me because believe me, tik tok community will pay for it no questions asked,” wrote another.