Eric Dane faced repeated denials from his health insurance company as his family struggled to secure round-the-clock nursing care in the final months of his life, despite his rapidly worsening ALS symptoms and escalating needs for support at home.

Dane, best known for his role on Grey's Anatomy, died on 19 February at age 53 following a public battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive neurological disease that weakens muscles and affects vital functions like breathing and speaking.

His death came less than two months after his estranged wife, actress Rebecca Gayheart, described how difficult it had been to obtain 24/7 home care through his insurance provider, according to Perez Hilton.

In a December 2025 personal essay, Gayheart wrote that the health-insurance company repeatedly rejected requests for home nursing, forcing her into an exhausting cycle of appeals and reapplications.

She recalled being told by an insurance representative, "You can keep applying, and I'll keep denying," a remark that she said pushed her to make securing coverage her mission.

According to Gayheart, it took at least two formal appeals before insurers finally approved continuous in-home nursing care for Dane. Even after that approval, she said, the family often faced gaps in coverage that left her and close friends filling in as caregivers when scheduled nursing shifts went unfilled, Radar Online reported.

Gayheart explained that Dane's care was divided into 21 nursing shifts each week, reflecting how constant his needs had become as ALS progressed. When she could not cover a full 12-hour gap because of responsibilities to their teenage daughters Billie and Georgia, she turned to Dane's friends, who stepped in to help with hands-on care.

Reports in the weeks before his death said Dane was wheelchair-bound, required assistance with most daily tasks, and depended on 24-hour nurse care at his home. His family spent significant time at the house to keep him closely connected to his daughters while his condition deteriorated.

Dane had also spoken publicly about the broader problems with insurance barriers, calling for reforms that would reduce delays and uncertainty for patients seeking treatment.

In the wake of his death, online discussion and fundraising efforts for his family have renewed scrutiny of how even high-profile patients can face repeated denials while trying to secure essential long-term care, as per the BBC.

Tags
Eric dane, Death