Colorado Father Keaton Herzer Receives Cigna Approval for Life-Saving Transplant After Public Appeal
KEATON HERZER, a Colorado father battling a rare and aggressive form of cancer, has received approval for a life-saving liver transplant after weeks of documenting what he described as repeated delays and denials from his private health insurer, Cigna.
Herzer, a married father of a young son, shared his experience publicly on Instagram, where he detailed his struggle to obtain transplant approval after being diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare cancer of the bile duct. He said his condition left him hospitalized and in urgent need of surgery.
According to Herzer, who is insured through his employer in California, his transplant requests were repeatedly denied or delayed despite his critical condition. He described being transferred between departments, disconnected during phone calls, and unable to reach his assigned care manager while bedridden in the hospital.
His story gained widespread attention after being shared across social media platforms and online forums, including Reddit, where users described his experience as an example of how private insurance processes can affect critically ill patients.
“He has begun documenting his experience daily, repeatedly attempting to reach someone at Cigna for help,” one social media user wrote while amplifying Herzer’s story. “His condition is critical.”
Following an outpouring of public support and growing online attention, Herzer shared a major update over the weekend, announcing that his liver transplant had been approved.
“HUGE UPDATE! WE WIN! WE DID IT!” Herzer wrote. “Thank you all—each of you played a role in potentially saving my life. I’m so grateful.”
In a follow-up video, Herzer expressed relief over the approval but raised concerns about the broader health insurance system.
“It shouldn’t be like this,” he said. “I shouldn’t have to do this. We shouldn’t have to fight this hard just to survive. It worked out for me—but they’re going to do this again to someone else, and nobody’s going to hear about it.”
Herzer said he plans to spend time with his son and consider how to use his experience to help others facing similar struggles.
The case has renewed debate over the role of private health insurance in life-or-death medical decisions in the United States, with many questioning whether public pressure should ever be required to secure critical care.
