I exaggerated the teenage acne example for effect, and now you pass this on…

(CNN) — Robin Beaton found out last June she had an aggressive form of breast cancer and needed surgery — immediately.
Robin Beaton, 59, found out just days before her mastectomy that her insurance provider would not cover the procedure.

Her insurance carrier precertified her for a double mastectomy and hospital stay. But three days before the operation, the insurance company called and told her they had red-flagged her chart and she would not be able to have her surgery.

The reason? In May 2008, Beaton had visited a dermatologist for acne. A word written on her chart was interpreted to mean precancerous, so the insurance company decided to launch an investigation into her medical history.

Beaton’s dermatologist begged her insurance provider to go ahead with the surgery.

“He said, ‘This is a misunderstanding. This is not precancerous. All she has is acne.’ … He said ,’Please don’t hold up her cancer surgery for this,’ ” Beaton, 59, said as she testified at a House subcommittee hearing on the terminations of individual health policies by insurance companies.

Still, the insurance carrier decided to rescind her coverage. The company said it had reviewed her medical records and found out that she had misinformed them about some of her medical history.

… proving once again that, at least on this planet, truth is stranger than fiction.

Medical Mafia, indeed.