Didn't know what else to do': Patients take their health-insurance battles to Facebook and LinkedIn

Patients are increasingly taking health-insurance disputes to social media, according to a report that follows one case amplified on Facebook and LinkedIn. Payton Herres, 26, who received a heart transplant in 2012, said Elevance Health stopped covering an off-label everolimus prescription. After Herres shared her story, coverage was restored for a 90-day supply but at a higher cost of $1,000, up from $180—an outcome she described as “ghost approval” because it remained financially out of reach. Her story resurfaced online after coverage in a U.K. newspaper. AI startup Claimable and Mark Cuban (co-founder of Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co.) became involved; Cuban’s pharmacy supplied the medication for about $300 for 90 days, with a nonprofit covering remaining costs. An Elevance spokesperson attributed the denials to factors in her treatment history and said the drug is considered specialty medication, leading to higher co-pays.