http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Jul/04/bz/bz06a.html

Gordon was fighting late stage cancer when HMSA denied his request for coverage of kyphoplasty. Gordon's spine was fracturing due to chemo-induced bone loss. The relatively quick outpatient kyphoplasty procedure was designed to stabilize his spine and relieve the severe pain he suffered from the multiple fractures. Kyphoplasty was so well accepted in the medical community that HMSA's medical director had assisted at nearly 100 of the operations. Despite having only months to live, Gordon insisted on fighting HMSA's denial so that all of us might have access to kyphoplasty if and when we need it. Gordon endured an unnecessarily grueling deposition by HMSA's attorney because he wanted to preserve his testimony in case he died before the hearing.
Gordon passed away before the hearing on his case, but it was his last wish that his widow, Renne continue the case. Renne did carry on and won. Renne fought HMSA's appeal despite its threat to go after her for the benefit cost if the decision was vacated on appeal. The Hawaii Supreme Court did later hold the Insurance Commissioner lacked jurisdiction to hear Gordon's case because his insurance plan was subject to the Employment Retirement Income Security Act. Nonetheless, Gordon and Renne proved that HMSA should have been covering kyphoplasty. They bravely advanced the battle against bad faith insurance practices and arbitrary coverage denials.

Thanks, Gordon and Renne.