I’m a heart transplant recipient. I’m haunted by ‘ghost approval’ for medication I need to survive

Summary: Payton Herres got a new heart and needs daily medicine so her body doesn't reject it. Her insurance gave her "ghost approval"—meaning they said the medicine was covered on paper, but it still cost her $1,500 out of pocket. Earning just $35,000 a year, she couldn't afford it.

Mail-order pharmacies weren't safe either; one time, her life-saving pills were accidentally delivered to a Dollar Tree! After a desperate Facebook post went viral, billionaire Mark Cuban and a charity fund stepped in to pay for her medication. Payton is sharing her story to show how broken the healthcare system is for patients who are just trying to survive.

For more details, see rssapp-statnews-com-category-first-opinion at statnews.com/2026/05/19/insurance-approval-denial-cost-access-transplant-medication/ (opens in new tab)