‘The American medical system is a nightmare’: A severely anemic woman side-steps tarnished UnitedHealthcare in hopes of getting the care she needs

A desperate “severely anemic” woman has reached out for medical help and advice on TikTok, after being unable to receive treatment for her condition due to the failings of UnitedHealthcare.

User Shannon (@shayspencerwatson) shared the video in November, before UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, Brian Thompson, was fatally shot in New York City earlier this month. In the clip, Shannon pleads with users to bring her story to the attention of the health insurance agency, after unsuccessfully attempting to receive treatment for uterine fibroids. The condition has caused Shannon to endure “extreme bleeding” and low hemoglobin and iron levels. To remedy the issue, Shannon recalled consulting with her doctor to receive a hysterectomy and blood transfusion, which they submitted to UnitedHealthcare for approval.

According to Shannon, the insurer denied the hysterectomy because the procedure was deemed “not medically necessary,” despite Shannon having fainted as a result of the condition. After being denied coverage, Shannon’s doctor filed an emergency appeal with UnitedHealthcare, and despite being promised a response within 24 hours, the agency did not contact Shannon or her doctor with a response until days after that deadline. “We both got hung up on and kept getting the runaround,” Shannon said of her experience dealing with the agency amidst the appeal. 

Resorting to a plan B option, Shannon said her doctor instead put in a request for a prescription drug that would help with the fibroids. This was intended as a temporary alternative until Shannon’s hysterectomy was approved, but even that prescription was denied by UnitedHealthcare, who said in screenshots shared by Shannon that it wasn’t covered.

Shannon’s video is a last resort, as she has been left without the care she needs and has been forced to resort to social media to notify UnitedHealthcare. Shannon revealed that her relatives have become her caregivers instead of medical treatment, and that she “can barely walk” and is “extremely tired” as a result of the untreated condition. 

Towards the end of the video, Shannon clarifies that she isn’t “trying to start any trouble” by sharing her story, but is instead “begging [UnitedHealthcare] for help.” She said the insurer’s denial of her treatment is “stopping me from getting the care I need,” and urged viewers to “please share” the video and “tag UnitedHealthcare.” In a follow-up video shared late last month, Shannon updated viewers about her health status. She revealed that after followers “came in strong to advocate for me,” UnitedHealthcare finally approved and scheduled her surgery for Jan. 7, though she will need pre-surgery treatments to ensure she’s ready for the procedure. 

Then, in response to news of Thompson’s death, Shannon shared a video saying that while she has opinions about UnitedHealthcare’s policies, “now is not the time to share them.” She later shared a video with a message about how Thompson’s “downfall feels like poetic justice — the fall of someone despised by millions.” Shannon’s initial call for help was met with widespread support from TikTok users, one of whom said her ordeal was evidence that “the American legal system is a nightmare.”

Others said they were “praying [Shannon] got the medical procedures needed,” or shared similar experiences with UnitedHealthcare, including one case where they “denied my heart surgery.” Elsewhere, users suggested ways of dealing with the insurance company’s denials, reaching out to the insurance commission or filing a fair hearing trail. “I’ve been with [UnitedHealthcare] for yrs and the care is just getting worse for myself and my family,” another user wrote.