Fighting For Time

Editor's note: An update to this story aired on March 10, 2010. Bob Iritano died on Sept. 1, 2011. He was 51. Here is David Lazarus' column from that day.

Our story about a man fighting for his life against a fatal form of cancer — and with his insurance company over treatment — has gotten some attention. From some high-placed officials.

For more than 3 years now, Bob Iritano has been fighting a particularly deadly form of cancer. Sadly, like too many other sick Americans, he's also had to fight his health insurance company to get the care he needs. L.A. Times columnist David Lazarus looks at his case, which illustrates just how much power a health insurance company can have over our lives, and deaths.