Byron Dorgan: “Mary lost her youngest daughter, Donna, at age 22. She said: The week of February 3, 1997, Donna went to our PCP--that…”

“Mary lost her youngest daughter, Donna, at age 22. She said: The week of February 3, 1997, Donna went to our PCP--that is her primary care provider--4 times in 5 days. With each visit her symptoms were worsening. She was told she had an upper respiratory infection and panic attacks. On Saturday, February 8th, she could barely get off the couch. I assisted her up the stairs to get cleaned up at 8 p.m. At 8:30 she started crying that she was very ill. I tried repeatedly to reach our PCP, but only reached the answering service, as this was a Saturday evening. I called the hospital at 9 and was told I couldn't bring her in unless her doctor authorized it or if I thought it was a life and death situation. Mary continued: I am a school bus driver and a mom, not a doctor or a nurse. At 9:10 I called 911, at 9:12 she screamed that her back hurt and that she thought she was going to die. She lapsed into a coma. She was pronounced dead at 10:45 p.m. at the young age of 22. I went to our PCP on Monday and the very first thing that was told to me was they couldn't justify to her HMO to send her for the diagnostic tests that would have shown what was wrong with her. Twenty-two-year-old kids don't die, so there were no tests done. None. In my subsequent research, I found that HMOs can and do penalize and sanction doctors for ordering tests which HMOs feel are unnecessary. I found out on Tuesday, February 11, she died from a blood clot on her lung literally the size of a football.”