Widow fights for change to law after insurance battle

HONOR. OUR STORY TONIGHT IS REPORTED IN. OUR STORY TONIGHT IS REPOPORTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH KFF. REPORTED IN PARTRTNERSHIP WITH KFF HEALTH NEWS. PAPARTNERSHIP WITH KFF HEALTH NEWS. HERE'S ERIN. HERE'S ERIN McLAUGHLIN. >> HE LOVED SITTING. McLAUGHLIN. >> HE LOVED SITTING AT THEHE BEACH AT. >> HE LOVED SITTING AT THE BEACH AT SUNSET. AT THE BEACH AT SUNSET. THAT WAS HIS FAVORITITE. SUNSET. THAT WAS HIS FAVORITE TIME. TIME. >> Reporter: REBECCA TENANT IS MOURNING. >> Reporter: REBECCA TENANT IS MOURNING HER LATE HUSBAND. TENANT IS MOURNING HER LATETE HUSBAND ERIC, AND WANTS TO. HEHER LATE HUSBAND ERIC, AND WANTS TO MAKE SURE WHAT. M. MAKE SURE WHAT HAPPENED T TO HIM DOESN'T HAPPEN TO. HAPPENED TO O HIM DOESN'T HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE. DOESN'T HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE. >> PEOPLE SHOULD NOT. ANYONE ELSE. >> PEOPLE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BEG TO GET. >> PEOPLE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BEG TO GET HELP, ESPECIALLY FOR. HAVE TO BEG TO GET HELP, ESPECICIALLY FOR SOMETHING THAT THEY. NG. SOMETHING THAT THEY ARE ALREADY PAYING FOR. ARE ALREADY PAYIYING FOR. >> YOU ALL RIGHT? FOR. >> YOU ALL RIGHT? >> Reporter: WE FIRST.

>> YOU ALL RIGHT? >> Reporter: WE E FIRST MELT THE TENANTS IN. >> Reporter: WE FIRST MELT THE T TENANTS IN WEST VIRGINIA ALMOST. WEST VIRGINIA ALMOST A YEAR AGOGO. ERIC IN THE MIDST OF. A YEARAR AGO. ERIC IN THE MIDST OF A BATTLE WITH A FORM. ERIC IN THE MIDST OF A BATTLE WITH A FORM OF BILE DUCT CANCER. A BABATTLE WITH A FORM OF BILE DUCT CANCER. FOR FOUR AGONIZING. OF BILE DUCT CANCER. FOR FOUR AGONIZING MONTHS. FOR FOUR AGONIZINGNG MONTHS. WHAT DOES TIME MEAN. WHAT DOES TIME MEAN TO YOU RIGHT NOWOW? >> IT MEANS. TO YOU RIGHT NOW? >> IT MEANS EVERYTYTHING. >> IT MEMEANS EVERYTHING. >> Reporter: EVEN. EVERYTHING. >> Reporter: EVEN FIGHTING REPEATED. >> Reporter: EVEN FIGHTINGNG REPEATED INSURANCE IALS. INSURANCE IALS FROM THE INSURER FOR STATE EMPLOYEES. STATE EMPLOYEES HOPING FOR A TREATMENT THAT ERIRIC'S. HOPING FOR A TREATMENT THAT ERIC'S ONCOLOGIST BELIEVED. TREATMENT THAT ERIC'S ONCOLOGISTST BELIEVED WHILE NOT A CURE. S. WHILE NOT A CURE COULD PROLONG HIS LIFE. COULD PROLONG HIS S LIFE. SEEMED LIKE A NEVER. SEEMED LIKE A NEVER ENDING BATTLE. >> NEVER ENDNDING. ENDING BATTLE. >> NEVER ENDING. >> YET YOU'RE STILL. >> NEVER ENDING. >> YET YOU'R'RE STILL FIGHTING. G. FIGHTING. >> STILL FIGHTHTING. WE'LL FIGHT.

WE'LL FIGHT. THAT'S ONE THING WE'RE E GOING TO DO. WE'RE GOING TO DO. >> Reporter: ULTIMATELY, THE. >> Reporter: ULTIMATELY, , THE APPROVAL CAME, BUT BY. APPROVAL CAME, BUT BY THEN, ERIC HAD RUN OUT OF T TIME. THEN, ERIC HAD R RUN OUT OF TIME. THE TUMOR HAD. OUT OF TIME. THE TUMOR HAD OVERTAKEN HIS LILIVER. THE TUMOR HAD OVERTAKEN HIS LIVER. HE DIEIED LAST SUMMER. OVERTAKEN HIS LIVER. HE DIED LALAST SUMMER AT HOME. AT HOME. >> WITH EVERYBODY AROUND HIM, KNOWINING. >> WITH EVERYBODY AROUND H HIM, KNOWING THAT HE WAS LOVED AND. AROUND HIM, KNOWING THAT HE WAS LOVED AND CARED ABOUT. THAT HE WAS LOVED AND CARED ABOUT. >> Reporter: BECKY. >> Reporter: BECKY VOWED TO CONTINUE THEIEIR FIGHT, AND. VOWED TO CONTINUE THEIR FIGHT, AND PARTNERED WITH STATE. THEIR FIGHT, AND PARTNERED WITH STATE LAWMAKER LAURA. PARTNERED WITH STATE LAWMAKER LAUAURA KIMBLE, PUSHING FOR. KIMBLE, PUSHING FOR LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ALLOW WEST. LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ALLOW WEST VIRGININIA'S PEIA. WOULD ALLOW WEST VIRGINIA'S PEIA PATIENTS APPROVED FOR. VIRGINIA'S PEIA PATIENTS APPROVED FOR ONE TREATMENT TO. PATIENTS APPROVED FOR ONE TREATMENT TO AUTOMATICALLY QUALIFY. ONE TREATMENT TO AUTOMATICALLLLY QUALIFY FOR AN ALTERNATIVE.

AUTOMATICALLY QUALIFY FOR AN ALTERNATIVEVE TREATMENT OF EQUAL OR. FOR AN ALTERERNATIVE TREATMENT OF EQUAL OR LESSER COST THAT. TREATMENT OF EQUAL OR LESSER COST THAT THEIR DOCTOR. THEIR DOCTOR RECOMMENDS. DID YOU TALK WITH. RECOMMENDS. DID YOU TALK WITH ERIC ABOUT THIS PUSH. DID YOU TALK WITH ERIC ABOUT THIHIS PUSH FOR CHANGE? FOR CHANGE? >> MM-HMM. WE T TALKED ABOUT IT. >> MM-HMM. WE TALKED ABOUT IT. HE JUST TOLD ME NOT. WE TALKED ABABOUT IT. HE JUST TOLD ME NOT TO BE SCARED. HE JUST T TOLD ME NOT TO BE SCARED. >> WE HAVE 93 AYES. TO BE SCARED. >> WE HAVE 93 AYES. ZERO NAYS. >> WE HAVE 93 AYES. ZERO NAYS. >> Reporter: THE. ZERO NAYS. >> Reporter: T THE LEGISLATION PASSED. >> Reporter: THE LEGISLATION PASSED UNANANIMOUSLY, BUT PEIA. LEGISLATION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY, BUT PEIA ATTACHED A N NOTE, UNANIMOUSLY, BUT PEIA ATTACHED A NOTE,E, ESTIMATING THE BILL. ATATTACHED A NOTE, ESTIMATING THE BILL WOULD COST THE STATE. . WOULD COST THE STATE $13 MILLION A YEAR. A FINAL DECISION. $13 MILLION A YEAR. A FINAL DECISION FALLING TO WEST. A FINAL DECISION FALLING TO W WEST VIRGINIA GOVERNOR. FALLING TO WEST VIRGINIA GOVERNOR PATRICK MORRISEY, WHO.

VIRGINIA GOVERNOR PATRICK MORRRRISEY, WHO TODAY SPOKE WITH. PATRICK MORRRRISEY, WHO TODAY SPOKE WITH REPORTERS AT AN EVENT. TODAY SPOKE WITH REPORTERS AT AN EVEVENT PROMOTING STATE. REPORTERS AT AN EVENT PROMOTING STATE TOURNISM. PROMOTING STATE TOURNISM. >> DO YOU INTEND O ON. TOURNISM. >> DO YOU INTENDND ON SIGNING THAT BILL. SIGNING THAT BILL THAT'S ON YOUR DESK RIGHT T NOW OR ARE YOU. RIGHT NOW OR ARE YOU GOING TO EXERCISE YOUR VETO POWER? GOING TO EXERCISE YOUR VETO POPOWER? >> WELL, I WILL SAY. YOUR VETO POWER? >> WELL, I WILL SASAY WE'RE LOOKING CLOSELY. WE'RE LOOKING CLOSELY AT THE BILL, AND THE FIRST TIMEME I HEARD. AT THE BILL, ANDND THE FIRST TIME I HEARD ABOUT THIS, I KNEW. ABOUT THIS, I KNEW THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE A CHANGE. THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE A CHANGE. >> Reporter: FOR. A CHANGE. >> Reporter: FOR REBECCCCA, JUST THE. >> Reporter: FOR REBECCA, JUST THE EFFORT, TRIBUTE TO. REBECCA, JUST THE EFFORT, TRIBUTE TO HER HUSBAND'S MEMORY. EFFORT, TRIBUTE TO HER HUSBAND'S MEMORY. YOU THINK HE WOULD BE. YOU THINK HE WOULD BE PROUD OF YOU? >> OH, YEAH,H, I THINK. PROUD OF YOU? >> OH, YEAH, I THINK HE WOULD. HE WOULD. HE WOULD JUST PROBABLY BE OVER THE. HE WOULD JUST PROBABLY BE OVER THEHE MOON EXCITED ABOUT. MOON EXCITED ABOUT IT. AND HAPPY KNOWING.

IT. AND HAPPY KNOWING THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN. AND HAPPY KNOWING THAT WE HAVE GOTOTTEN THE SUPPORT THAT WE. THTHAT WE HAVE GOTTEN THE SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN. THE SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN. YEAH. HAVE GOTTEN. YEAHAH. >> Reporter: AND WE. >> Reporter: AND WE HAVE JUST LEARNED THATAT THE GOVERNOR HAS. THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS SIGNED THE BILL, WRITING IN A. SIGNED THE BILL, WRITITING IN A STATEMENT TO NBC. WRITING IN A STATEMEMENT TO NBC NEWS, THIS IS ABOUT. STATEMENT TO NBC NEWS, , THIS IS ABOUT COMMON SENSE, NEWS, THIS IS ABOUT COMMONON SENSE, COMPASSION, AND. COMMON SENENSE, COMPASSION, AND TRUSTING PATIENTS AND. COMPASSION, AND TRUSTING PATIENTS AND THEIR DOCTORS TO MAKE.