December 26, 2007

Navy to Pay HIV-Positive Woman's Medical Bills

An HIV-positive woman in Florida has won a two-year legal case against the U.S. Navy, which will now cover her medical expenses, reports Local 6, an Orlando news station (local6.com, 12/20).

The station reports that Richelle Starnes, 27, whose father was a radioman on a Navy submarine, was born with HIV after her mother contracted the virus through a blood transfusion. Local 6 reports that the Navy doctor who saw Starnes' mother failed to diagnose that she was having pregnancy complications, causing her to be rushed to a non-Navy hospital where she had the blood transfusion. Starnes' mother died in 2003.

The Navy previously said that it would pay for Starnes to receive treatment; recently, however, Starnes was informed that the Navy would no longer cover the costs of her inpatient hospital care or medication, reports Local 6.

The Navy reportedly received pressure from members of Florida's Congressional delegation, including U.S. Senator Bill Nelson and U.S. Representative Tom Feeny, and it has since changed its stance on Starnes' medical bills. Starnes received the news Wednesday night when the surgeon general of the Navy called her personally.

"I just broke down and started crying," she said. "This has been very stressful for me and for my family, but there have been a lot of people who have made me continue to fight for what I was promised."

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SEAN MARTIN, IDAHO FALLS, 2007-12-28 09:58:17
What a sad case for America. I thought we had the best govt. in the world. To hear that the Navy has tried to escape it's responsibilities is to say the least pathetic! My heart goes out to you and your family and the NAVY should be nothing but ASHAMED!!!!!! what year are we in again.. (PATHETIC)