Health Care Story of the Week - 9/9/09

“Last Thursday, September 3, was the three year anniversary of Dylan’s wreck. That day, I told Dylan’s story in front of a 400-person crowd in Murfreesboro. It was my way of honoring my son and helping move our country toward a health system that cares for all Americans.” – Dottie Cordle

Dylan Cordle was born and raised in Middle Tennessee, but he was forced to leave his home in order to get medical care. At age 17, a senior in high school, Dylan suffered a traumatic brain injury in a motor vehicle accident. He was in a coma for four months, but eventually came to, and began therapies to help him regain life skills. A little over 2 years post-accident, Dylan completed high school and received his diploma.

During Dylan’s slow recovery, his mother Dottie Cordle was there for him each step of the way. Dottie owns a small embroidery shop called “Eye for Sewing,” and juggling a business and her son’s medical care became more than a full time job.

Dylan had private insurance through his mother’s work, and also qualified for TennCare. Even with two insurance plans, Dylan was unable to get the care he needed in Tennessee. Although children under 21 on TennCare are by law supposed to receive all medically necessary care, Dylan was turned down for acute inpatient rehabilitation which his doctors prescribed. Dottie fought TennCare to cover the service, but she lost.

Likewise, Dylan’s eye doctor said that he clearly needed neuro-rehabilitation, but many insurers, including TennCare routinely deny it, calling it “experimental.” Meanwhile, Medicare recognizes the treatment as safe, and with this treatment, his doctor thinks Dylan would have been better able to perform basic daily activities.

Without the medical care he needed, Dylan’s progress slowed. He remained unable to care for himself, and was socially isolated from his peers. His family and his doctors knew it was not a physical limitation that was holding Dylan back, but an insurance one.

Then, Dottie heard that Kentucky has a traumatic brain injury program for kids like Dylan. Since Dylan’s grandmother lives in Kentucky, the family made the difficult but clear decision to move Dylan out of state for treatment.

The care Dylan had fought so hard for in Tennessee but was unable to get was readily available across state lines. Dylan has already been in the program for about one month and is making progress. In addition to getting the therapies and doctor visits he needs, he participates in community outings with other individuals with brain injuries.


In Tennessee with TennCare, Dylan could not get the care that doctors ordered for him. A few hours away, getting the care he needs is easy. Ms. Cordle thinks there is something wrong with this picture. Her family has been in Tennessee for since 1984, and Dylan was born and raised here, yet he had to leave to get care. “Tennessee ought to provide its children with the best chance to reach their potential,” she said, “or else we risk pushing our kids out of state and draining Tennessee of its most valuable natural resource.”