Rob H. Stands In Line For Hilda Sarkisyan

Hilda Sarkisyan flew cross country last night from Los Angeles to DC so she could sit in the front row of the committee markup with a picture of her daughter, Nataline, who died at the age of 17 because CIGNA would not approve a liver transplant. 

We contacted the office of George Miller, Chairman of the Education & Labor Committee, for help getting her a seat at the hearing, because the insurance companies pay $3500 to companies who hire the homeless to sleep over night in line to save theirs (see the video).

At first they said they’d work it out, and get myself and nyceve in as journalists, and then see what they could do for Hilda. Then they decided there was nothing they could do for anybody because it broke the rules — rules which allow CIGNA to buy a place at the head of the line — but they said if we got there a couple hours beforehand, they thought we could probably still get in.

So Rob H. got up early and drove all the way from Baltimore to save a place for Hilda so she could  be in the hearing room.  He’s the second person in line — behind Blue Cross.  Thank you, Rob.  You’re a real hero.

I don’t know if nyceve and I will be able to get in because we’ll be taking Hilda around to House offices today,  but you can watch the hearing live online at 3pm ET.  We’ll have the video link up and hopefully be liveblogging from that if all else fails.

Speaker Pelosi will be on Crooks & Liars for a live chat today at 1:30 pm ET, so anybody who goes over there might ask her why a system that allows the lobbyists to pay the homeless and turn these important public hearings into a Springsteen concert goes on unchallenged.

If you’d like to contribute to the cost of bringing Hilda Sarkisyan here to DC, you can do it here.