After an overdose of the son, Mom presses the law of treating a CA dependence on CA

From Jocelyn WienerCalmness

This story was originally published by CalmattersS Register about their ballots.

Deep breath.

Christine Matlok Dougari inhaled, squeezed her lips and exhaled slowly.

She stared carefully to the Scrabble game on her phone, trying to calm her nerves as she waited to testify to the Assembly Health Committee.

Deep breath.

She checked her texts. She went into a dice game.

“Sometimes it’s a little bit,” she said quietly.

On a sunny afternoon last month, her was the privilege that no parent wants: the chance to convince a room of lawmakers to repair the disturbed system that she believes has contributed to the death of her child.

For the second time in two weeks, it will testify to the state legislative body as a key witness for not one but two separate bills aimed at the health insurance industry. They were among several such measures penetrating through the Capitol, hastened by public outrage that boiled after the fatal firing of the CEO UNITEDHEALTHCARE last DecemberS

In an attempt to promote political reforms aimed at commercial health plans, legislators invited Dogrti to share the history of their family. Matt HaniA democratic state -owned assembly from San Francisco said its history had inspired him to author of one of the bills to be testified by a measure designed to prevent health plans from premature patients from medical facilities for substance use.

Today it would not be her first time to testify; She recently flew to the capital to speak on behalf of a bill that would require health plans to report data to the state about how often they refuse treatment. Previously, she had not been in Sacramento for years, as her young family had taken a trip here when the children were young. They had taken a photo of her son Ryan, standing next to the bronze bear in the Capitol building.

Dogrti’s nails, painted in sparkling, bright pastels, to please first -graders at Yukaip Primary School, where she works, rests on eight sheets of paper. There, double located in a 20-point font, was the chain of events ended with Ryan dying overdose with fentanyl At the age of 23.

But how does a man capture a nightmare in two minutes that lasted four years? The refusal of her health plan to cover her son’s dependence. The misconduct for the death she brought.

The assembled room became crowded.

Was it hot here?

At the Dogger College he had taken a public speaking class. On the day she had to give her first speech, she felt so nervous that she was fainted. But now, after more than three decades, teaching a primary school, she knew the trick: sounds confident and they will believe you.

She knew that it was here was what Ryan would wish. She wanted to make him proud.

“It helps me find a reason he was him,” she said.

Dogretty had cried several times this morning on the flight from Palm Springs to Sacramento. From Ryan’s death, even the smallest things can cause tears. The color of the shirt. A song on the radio.

Some days were better than others.

“All I do is breathe right now,” she told a reporter.

At today’s hearing, she will evidence of a bill that will stop health plans from reviewing the patient’s eligibility from being used with substances, while at least 28 days after the network provider initially approves the treatment. Ryan’s health plan had decided that he would no longer cover his stay at the hospital after he only spent three days there.

Less than 48 hours after his sister raised him and took him home, he overdosed.

Dogretti took his place in the middle of the overcrowded assembly room. She waited as the commission members discussed other bills designed to impede the power of insurers over patients.

It’s been an hour.

And then, finally, the order of Dogeti.

She walked to the front of the room and took her place on the table, facing the legislators. One of the sponsors of the bill had told her that if she felt nervous, she had to teach her eyes to the chairman of the committee Mia Bonta, a democratic state -owned assembly from Oakland.

Bont had a son.

Hani presented the bill. He has never seen him before. He now told the committee that while other countries had already passed laws to deal with the problem, “California fails to act.”

“The case with Ryan Matlok is a devastating example,” he said.

Deep breath.

Hani slid a box of fabrics in front of Dougherty.

“Without talking to Ryan, they denied the necessary care,” she said with her voice tightly with unprecedented tears. “They said he could control his addiction if he really wanted.”

His health plan said he always follows the law.

“Four years later, I still miss each day.”

Bont called for a moment of silence for Ryan.

Representatives of several organizations have arranged on a microphone to express their support. A few sank into their eyes.

Representatives of the insurance industry responded with their opposition to the bill:

Stephanie Watkins, a representative of the California Life and Health Association Association, has raised fears that the bill will prohibit the use of common health review processes to determine the duration of the patient’s stay. She said the bill would prevent health insurers from protecting patients from “victim to the bad practices” of some facilities “putting patients at risk and increasing care costs.”

“We believe this bill goes too far,” she said.

Olga Shilo, representing the California Association of Health Plans, said the processes of reviewing current health plan help to ensure that treatment is needed medically, prevents fraud, waste and abuse and provides precautions against unnecessary costs.

“We are concerned about the consequences of removing accountability in the system without improving the quality of care,” she said.

Hani called a 28-day minimum stay “without brain” and “the largest minimum”.

“This would change Ryan’s life,” he said.

Dogeta swallowed.

Hani thanked her for the courage.

She blinked back tears.

She will later learn that the committee voted for the bill, 12-0. It will move on to the next step in the process.

After his testimony, out in the hallway, Hani told Dogrti that there were powerful people behind him.

“Your story makes it real,” he said.

He wrapped her in a hug.

She patted her damp cheeks, then pulled out dark sunglasses.

Outside, the roses in the Capitol garden broke out in color, filling the sunny afternoon with their divine perfume.

This article was Originally Published on CalMatters and was reissued under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Noderivatives License.