10/24/2026
🚨 MARION MOTHER FIGHTS FOR HOME-HEALTH CARE FOR DISABLED DAUGHTER AS ANTHEM DENIALS LEAVE FAMILY WITHOUT PAID ASSISTANCE
MARION, INDIANA — A Marion mother says she has spent months fighting Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield to obtain home-health care for her 18-year-old daughter, who has level 3 autism, is nonverbal, and requires constant supervision.
Despite medical documentation supporting the need for assistance, repeated insurance appeals, and a partial approval for services, the mother says her daughter has not received a single hour of paid home-health-aide care.
Now, the family’s home-care agency has issued a discharge notice, and another insurance appeal remains pending.
A DAUGHTER WHO CANNOT BE LEFT ALONE
Gabriella Jordan, 18, has autism, incontinence, and pica, a condition involving the consumption of nonfood items.
According to medical records provided to Channel 27 News, Gabriella cannot independently feed, bathe, or dress herself and does not recognize potentially dangerous situations.
Her medical provider documented concerns involving self-injurious behavior, personal hygiene, and the need for around-the-clock supervision.
The provider recommended 40 hours of home-health-aide services per week.
Gabriella’s mother says she completed 60 hours of training to renew her home-health-aide credentials so she could provide care for her daughter through Team Select Home Care.
However, she says the family has been unable to receive those paid services because of repeated insurance authorization problems.
INSURANCE DENIALS AND REPEATED APPEALS
Documents reviewed by Channel 27 show that Anthem initially denied requested home-health services, citing insufficient evidence of medical necessity.
On September 30, Anthem approved 28 hours of home-health assistance per week following an appeal, rather than the 40 hours requested.
However, Gabriella’s mother says the approval came too late for the services to be provided during the applicable authorization period.
Another Anthem denial, dated September 28, concerned services requested for October 4, 2026, through January 1, 2027.
That denial stated that the submitted records did not sufficiently establish Gabriella’s functional limitations, hands-on care needs, and caregiver availability.
The family disputes that explanation, maintaining that Anthem had already received medical documentation addressing those concerns.
HOME-CARE AGENCY ISSUES DISCHARGE NOTICE
On October 2, Team Select Home Care notified the family that Gabriella would be discharged from its services effective October 16.
In the letter reviewed by Channel 27, the agency confirmed it had been unable to secure the required prior authorization from the insurance carrier.
The agency also acknowledged that it was appealing the denial.
Gabriella’s mother says she is now providing all of her daughter’s care without compensation.
She explains that she cannot maintain outside employment because her daughter cannot safely be left alone.
Gabriella attends a school-based life-skills program during the regular school year, but her mother says she has no home-health assistance outside that setting.
ANTHEM REFUSES EXPEDITED REVIEW
On October 16, Anthem acknowledged another appeal but denied the family’s request for expedited consideration.
According to the insurer’s letter, expedited review requires a determination that the standard 30-day appeal process could pose a serious threat to the member’s health or life.
Anthem determined that Gabriella’s appeal did not meet those conditions.
The family says that decision fails to account for Gabriella’s inability to recognize danger or protect herself.
The latest appeal remains pending, with a decision expected around November 16.
A MOTHER LOOKING FOR ANSWERS
Gabriella’s mother says she has contacted Anthem repeatedly, spoken with supervisors, and submitted medical records, school documentation, and supporting letters in an effort to secure care.
She believes other Indiana families may be experiencing similar difficulties obtaining medically necessary home-health services.
The documents reviewed by Channel 27 establish that Anthem denied requested services, subsequently approved a reduced number of hours through an appeal, and declined to expedite another appeal. They do not establish whether Anthem received every supporting document before each individual decision.
Anthem’s position on the latest appeal remains unresolved.
For Gabriella’s mother, however, the immediate concern is unchanged: her daughter still needs daily care, and she says she is providing it alone without the paid assistance she has been seeking.
Channel 27 News will continue following this case as the November appeal deadline approaches.
Have you experienced similar difficulties obtaining Medicaid-covered home-health services in Indiana? We would like to hear from you.
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