Insurance Approved Cancer Treatment After Media Attention — Too Late

Eric Tennant weighed 97 pounds and wasn't expected to survive a year when doctors recommended a procedure that could destroy the largest tumor in his body.

His insurance called the potentially life-saving treatment "not medically necessary."

Tennant, a coal mining safety instructor from Bridgeport, West Virginia, was diagnosed in 2023 with stage 4 cancer of the bile ducts that had spread to his bones.

In early 2025, doctors recommended histotripsy, a relatively new procedure that uses ultrasound waves to target and destroy tumors.

Three Agencies Said No

UnitedHealthcare, the Public Employees Insurance Agency, and an outside reviewer issued denials in February and March, all concluding the treatment was not medically necessary.

Rebecca Tennant submitted medical records, expert opinions, and data through multiple appeals.

All were unsuccessful.

Media Coverage Changes Everything

In May, after KFF Health News and NBC News posed questions about Eric's case, the agency reversed course and decided to cover his treatment.

Eric was hospitalized in late May and prescribed medication that prevented him from undergoing histotripsy.

By midsummer, he was no longer considered a suitable candidate for the procedure.

Final Words

During Eric's final hospital stay before hospice care, Rebecca asked if he wanted her to keep fighting to change the prior authorization process.

He told her, "Well, you need to at least try to change it, because it's not fair."

Eric Tennant died in September 2025 at age 58.

West Virginia's legislature unanimously passed a law allowing patients approved for treatment to pursue medically appropriate alternatives without additional authorization.