Death by HMO

Today is the nationwide release of Michael Moore’s documentary Sicko. Maybe I’m a dreamer, but I hope this movie is the catalyst for the long-needed change in our medical system. No matter how much attention Sicko garners, it’s still up to all of us collectively to stand up and be counted, and refuse to tolerate conditions as they are. In a “civilized” country such as ours, the medical care is often far from civilized. In a country (the USA) that prides itself in technological advancement, our medical care really isn’t “care” at all.

If you’ve never been exposed to medical negligence or indifference, you are vulnerable to betrayal. Caring doctors and nurses are out there, but we can’t assume the professionals know best without us asking many questions and doing our own research. People often question their auto mechanic more than they question their doctors.

One family’s fight to reform the medical system is documented in an excellent, but gut-wrenching book, Death by HMO: The Jennifer Gigliello Story. This book is written by Dorothy Cancilla, a bright and feisty woman, who learned the hard way how callous and incompetent some medical providers can be. Cancilla’s book documents her daughter Jennifer’s eight years of painful illness that eventually led to a premature and avoidable death. Jennifer (below) died four days before her 30th birthday.



I’m amazed at how much information and detail is compiled into this 132-page book. The reader gets an education on the human body, and the tragic errors made by doctors at every turn become very clear.

I can’t imagine helplessly watching my daughter suffer, as Cancilla was forced to do. She and the rest of the family tried everything they could to support Jennifer and help her make the right decisions. Their biggest mistake was daring to think that doctors and Kaiser Hospital had Jennifer’s best interest at heart.

Jennifer’s problems began with frequent abdominal pain and vomiting. While doctors debated about the cause of her suffering, she trusted her doctor who literally butchered her (let’s tell it like it was) by removing her pancreas, instead of her gallbladder. Jennifer, who was somebody’s mother, wife, daughter and sister, tried to live a normal life around many hospital stays and surgeries. Cancilla portrays her youngest daughter as heroic. Anyone reading this book will fall in love with Jennifer, but what pulls at my heart is Cancilla’s loss—a mother’s loss—that never goes away. She honors her daughter and husband by writing this book.

Death by HMO documents medical negligence and indifference but also shows how truly callous some businesses can be for the almighty dollar. In Jennifer’s case the greed of the HMO set off a chain of events that affected her life––and her death—which in turn devastated her family. While viewing Jennifer in her casket, her father Lou Cancilla had a heart attack and died. Dorothy Cancilla and her family lived through a horror show, barely hanging on, in a daze, wondering which family member might be next as they survived two funerals.

To add more insult to much injury, Kaiser Hospital (and members of it) promised to release the facts of the cause of Jennifer’s death, only to hide the autopsy until the courts intervened.

I love Dorothy Cancilla. What a mom she is, and one tough cookie. She did not disappear in her grief, but joined the family in suing Kaiser; and then she later wrote this book. Although the family was triumphant in winning a lawsuit against Kaiser, I’m disappointed that the law limited their financial compensation—received by Jennifer’s husband and son—to a whopping $125,000. Of course, no money really compensates for suffering and loss of life. But at least the judgment in the case allows the author to legally and openly state that Kaiser was at fault.

People need to know what can happen to any of us once we put ourselves in someone else’s hands. We must advocate for ourselves and our loved ones. We cannot assume that the doctor is always right. We have to keep in mind that the only body we have has to last us a lifetime. We are the ones who are affected by wrong decisions. Ultimately we must consider the medical professionals as part of our team. They are expert consultants and sometimes gifted surgeons. But even the most dedicated doctors are imperfect, not God-like. Even decent medical people may be cajoled into betraying their patients by the HMO who pays their salary.

Death by HMO will surprise and dismay you. But you will be inspired by the courage of Dorothy Cancilla and her family. This story has all the elements for a great movie.