This is how they did it.
The Big Story
Wed. Nov 15, 2023
Insurance Executives Refused to Pay for the Cancer Treatment That Could Have Saved Him. This Is How They Did It.
A Michigan law requires coverage of cancer drugs. One insurer came up with a “defensible” way to avoid paying for treatments that offered Forrest VanPatten his last chance for survival. “We crossed the line,” says a former executive.
by Maya Miller and Robin Fields
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Uncovered
Find Out Why Your Health Insurer Denied Your Claim
You likely have the right to access records that explain why your insurer denied your claim or prior authorization request. Use ProPublica’s free tool to generate a letter requesting your claim file from your health insurance company.
by Ash Ngu and Maya Miller
Big Insurance Met Its Match When It Turned Down a Top Trial Lawyer’s Request for Cancer Treatment
Blue Cross and Blue Shield denied payment for the proton therapy Robert “Skeeter” Salim’s doctor ordered to fight his throat cancer. But he was no ordinary patient. He was a celebrated litigator. And he was ready to fight.
by T. Christian Miller
I Set Out to Create a Simple Map for How to Appeal Your Insurance Denial. Instead, I Found a Mind-Boggling Labyrinth.
I spoke with more than 50 insurance experts, patients, lawyers, physicians and consumer advocates about building a tool anyone could use to navigate insurance appeals. Nearly everyone said the same thing: Great idea. But almost impossible to do.
by Cheryl Clark for ProPublica

🚨 Impact Alert

This year, ProPublica has revealed undisclosed gifts and travel Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito have accepted from billionaire friends. Our stories have raised questions about influence and ethics at the nation's highest court. Now, for the first time in its 234-year history, the Supreme Court released a code of conduct governing the behavior of the country’s most powerful judges. We're continuing this watchdog reporting. Will you support our nonprofit newsroom's investigations?
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The Supreme Court Has Adopted a Conduct Code, but Who Will Enforce It?
Experts say it is unclear if the new rules, which come after reporting by ProPublica and others revealed that justices had repeatedly failed to disclose gifts and travel from wealthy donors, would address the issues raised by the recent revelations.
by Joshua Kaplan, Justin Elliott, Brett Murphy and Alex Mierjeski
READ THE FULL STORY
Virtual Event
The Court Whisperer
Leonard Leo is a power broker who has reshaped America’s judiciary. We discuss Leo’s path to power, how he wields power and his ambitions beyond the court.
More From Our Newsroom
“Do Your Job.” How the Railroad Industry Intimidates Employees Into Putting Speed Before Safety
Railroad companies have penalized workers for taking the time to make needed repairs and created a culture in which supervisors threaten and fire the very people hired to keep trains running safely. Regulators say they can’t stop this intimidation.
by Topher Sanders, Jessica Lussenhop, Dan Schwartz, Danelle Morton and Gabriel Sandoval
Residential Hotels Got Contracts Under the Los Angeles Mayor’s Homelessness Program Despite Violations
A city law sought to prevent low-cost housing from turning into hotels, but some landlords rented to tourists anyway. That didn’t stop them from receiving city funds for a new temporary shelter program.
by Robin Urevich, Capital & Main, and Gabriel Sandoval, ProPublica
Columbia University to Set Up $100 Million Fund for Patients of Predator OB-GYN
After ProPublica and New York Magazine revealed how the school ignored warnings about Robert Hadden, Columbia announced a number of major initiatives, including a settlement fund for survivors and an independent investigation.
by Bianca Fortis
OSHA Investigates Small Dairy Farms So Rarely That Many Worker Advocates Don’t Bother to Report Deaths and Injuries
Worker advocates say the federal agency’s patchwork of enforcement across the country is fundamentally unfair. Many don’t contact OSHA over safety incidents because they’ve heard so frequently that small farms can’t be investigated.
by Melissa Sanchez and Maryam Jameel
Mississippi Jailed More Than 800 People Awaiting Psychiatric Treatment in a Year. Just One Jail Meets State Standards.
Counties are allowed to hold people awaiting court-ordered psychiatric treatment in jails only if the facilities meet safety and health standards, but there’s no funding to help them comply and no penalties if they don’t.
by Isabelle Taft, Mississippi Today
Maine Rarely Sanctions Residential Care Facilities Even After Severe Abuse or Neglect Incidents
From 2020 to 2022, Maine’s state health department cited residential care facilities for dozens of resident rights violations and hundreds of other deficiencies. But it has imposed only one fine in response.
by Rose Lundy, The Maine Monitor
One Woman Died on an Alaska Mayor’s Property. Then Another. No One Has Ever Been Charged.
Before they died, Jennifer Kirk and Sue Sue Norton were both victims of domestic violence, but the men involved — the ex-mayor’s sons — faced few consequences despite a long history of similar allegations.
by Kyle Hopkins, Anchorage Daily News
Utah Therapist Arrested for Allegedly Sexually Abusing Patients During Sessions
Scott Owen, who was considered an expert in helping struggling gay Latter-day Saint men, is accused of assaulting his patients.
by Jessica Miller, The Salt Lake Tribune
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