A young man living with a serious neuromuscular condition says his insurer has sharply cut the nursing care he depends on, in the latest UnitedHealthcare coverage complaint to surface on News 12. The case puts a human face on a dispute over what counts as medically necessary.
At the center of it is Peyton Tansley, who is 25 years old. He has spinal muscular atrophy, a condition that leaves him with limited voluntary control over his movements and reliant on day-to-day support.
The change to his care was substantial. Tansley says his insurance company recently reduced his nursing care from 18 hours down to six hours, telling him the higher level of support was not medically necessary.
Despite his own situation, he has chosen to make his case publicly. Tansley said that even with his condition, he still has the ability to speak up, and that he is using that voice rather than staying silent.
His motivation, he said, reaches beyond his own care. He stressed that he is speaking out for a community that often cannot speak up for itself, framing his fight as one on behalf of others in similar circumstances.
His story did not emerge in isolation. According to News 12, others reached out to the station to say their own longtime nursing care had been slashed under changes to their UnitedHealthcare plans, after seeing a similar story reported earlier.
The insurer, for its part, says it is trying to resolve the matter. In a statement to News 12, UnitedHealthcare said it has attempted to connect with Tansley directly to address his needs and the benefits available to him under his plan.