OGDEN, Utah (KUTV) — An Ogden man has been denied a lifesaving liver transplant from his brother by his insurance company.
Nathan Kirkland discovered he had bile duct cancer in April of 2024 while his wife was pregnant with their second child.
“Our cancer journey started in Utah. I was told I might not see my daughter born in August,” he said.
The news devastated his family as they tried to figure out what to do next.
“Should we just be taking the trips that we always talked about, should we be trying to make the most out of every minute. We made some tough decisions at the time and decided we weren’t going to accept that outlook,” Kirkland said.
He underwent numerous treatments for cholangiocarcinoma — bile duct cancer — but has reached his limit on chemotherapy. The next option is getting a new liver.
For many, a liver transplant can be a cure for hilar cholangiocarcinoma, but there is a risk that the cancer will recur after a liver transplant.
He had already beaten the odds by surviving way longer than doctors expected, and now could be on his way to a cure: a life-saving liver transplant from his brother.
There was one battle he wasn’t expecting.
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“I’ve been battling insurance every step of the way. So, this latest battle is insurance trying to make a decision about my life for me. Through this process we learned it takes a lot of time with insurance, and we just don’t have time anymore,” Kirkland said.
He said the insurance had been approving them all the way up until they got to the transplant, which had already been scheduled for February 14.
Since the denial letter on February 6, 2025, they’ve been reaching out to Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield for answers.
“It’s just non answers. We asked for the evidence of why they denied us and we’re not getting those documents, we’re not getting those answers,” he said.
They shared their story on Facebook, where it has been gaining traction.
Kirkland and his family are on their way to Pittsburg for the transplant Friday. They are stilling waiting to find out what insurance will cover.
KUTV reached out to Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, and they said this is a matter of HIPAA authorization, something we are coordinating with the family.
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Clinton Mora is a reporter for Trending Insurance News. He has previously worked for the Forbes. As a contributor to Trending Insurance News, Clinton covers emerging a wide range of property and casualty insurance related stories.