Days of Our Lives’ Galen Gering Lashes Out After Being Denied Insurance Coverage for His Son’s Emergency Surgery: ‘What Is Wrong With You People?’
Wednesday, June 15th, 2022
Sometimes, when we should be healing and moving on, things only seem to get worse.
There are few matters in life as stressful as health issues — especially when it comes to emergencies. That’s something everyone has in common, whether they’re famous or not. It’s certainly something Days of Our Lives‘ Galen Gering (Rafe) understands, as his son had to undergo emergency surgery just last week.
More: Celebrate the son of Bryan Dattilo on his 8th birthday
But something we may not think about as much is that even actors and celebrities have to deal with the stress that comes after the emergencies when it comes to hospital bills and navigating the often frighteningly complicated insurance realm. Sadly, that too is something Gering knows, as the already overwhelmed dad had to deal with the reality of his son’s procedure being denied coverage.
The actor, though, was not having it. He took to Twitter to address his insurance company directly, writing that, “my son had an emergency appendectomy last week and you’ve just sent me a letter denying coverage. What is wrong with you people?! Like the surgery wasn’t stressful enough on our family now I have to fight you guys? This is pathetic. Get it together.”
Honestly, it’s something we’ve probably all wanted to say at one point or another.
Hey @AnthemBCBS my son had an emergency appendectomy last week and you’ve just sent me a letter denying coverage. What is wrong with you people?! Like the surgery wasn’t stressful enough on our family now I have to fight you guys? This is pathetic.
Get it together.— Galen Gering (@galengering) June 15, 2022
Gering’s fans turned out in a massive show of support, offering best wishes for his son, and commiserating on their own insurance woes over the years. A number of folks, understanding all too well the frustration, offered advice, both from within the insurance industry and without.
As the World Turns‘ Colleen Zenk (Barbara) even weighed in with some sage advice, tweeting, “Galen, you don’t know me but, as a fellow SAG/AFTRA member for (50) years… Call the L.A. office ASAP. I hope your son recovers soon and that our Union can resolve this egregious error.”
GALEN, you don't know me but, as a fellow SAG/AFTRA member for (50) years I'm with Carolyn on this. Call the LA office ASAP. I hope your son recovers soon and that our Union can resolve this egregious error.
— Colleen Zenk (@ColleenZenk) June 15, 2022
The insurance company did actually respond on Twitter, saying they’d like to help, and that Gering should e-mail them with his the claim’s details. On top of that, when a fan responded with their own insurance woes, the company responded to them, as well, offering to help resolve the issue.
More: The Tripp stories we should have gotten
Though there’s no word on whether it’s been fixed, and the surgery is being covered, hopefully it’s just, as a number of viewers suggested, an error that can be easily resolved without piling even more stress upon Gering and his family.
Stop by our photo gallery of soap stars and their real-life kids to get a glimpse of Gering with both his sons!
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
1/75
<p>The<em> Days of Our Lives</em> have gone by like minutes for Lucas’ portrayer. Photographed here in 2005, son Gabe, from his first marriage (to Jessica Denay), now has a son of his own.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
2/75
<p>In 2014, lil’ Delila, with the actor’s second wife Elizabeth Cameron, was added to the family portrait.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
3/75
<p>In this shot from 2011, Gavin — aka the son of the <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> knockout who plays Donna — shows us just how enviably easily he can touch his toes. Kid, we haven’t even <em>seen</em> ours in years!</p>
Image: Lisa Rose/JPI
4/75
<p>In 2003, the <em>General Hospital</em> Emmy winner had her hands full — literally — with son Dylan. Mind you, it was nothing that Anna’s portrayer couldn’t handle with aplomb. Is there <em>anything</em> that the on- and off-screen badass can’t handle with aplomb?</p>
Image: Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
5/75
<p>After being snapped at the Hollywood Christmas Parade Supporting Marine Toys for Tots in 2022, the actress <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CljbUG4Jgck/" target="_blank">joked via Instagram</a> that the instance was the rarest of rarities. “We threw a parade,” she joked, “in order for me to get a photo with my daughter,” Sadie.</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
6/75
<p>The actress, Kate to <em>Days of Our Lives</em> fans, turned the 2011 Daytime Emmys into a girls night out with Milli Kate, one of her three children with makeup-artist husband Nicky Schillace. A decade after this, the soap MVP was reunited with her firstborn son. They’d been “lost to each other for nearly a lifetime,” she said. (<a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/days-of-our-lives/news/613844/days-of-our-lives-lauren-koslow-reunites-long-lost-son/" target="_blank">Read their story here.</a>)</p>
Image: Vinnie Zuffante/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
7/75
<p>In 1994, just five years into his epic run as Jack on <em>The Young and the Restless</em>, the Emmy winner was snapped with wife Mariellen and their children, Connor and Clare.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
8/75
<p>Talent clearly runs in the family. This shot of the <em>Days of Our Lives</em> leading man, who plays John (duh!), was taken in 2006, just a year after son Ben made his own daytime debut as Lucas on <em>General Hospital.</em></p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI (3)
9/75
<p>Tomfoolery was obviously the order of the day when the future <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> leading lady and son Jake hit the town in 2004 — gee, 17 years before she’d start her run as Taylor.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
10/75
<p>They had a point. Two, it appears. But since this photo of the <em>Passions</em> alum who plays <em>Young & Restless</em> baddie Jeremy and son James was taken all the way back in 2007, we may never know what either of those points were.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
11/75
<p>We suspect some popcorn and soda was plundered when the <em>Days of Our Lives</em> MVP — Sami when she’s in Salem — took in <em>Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales</em> — with son Ben Sanov in 2017. But what about his sister?</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
12/75
<p>Ah, <em>there’s</em> Megan, the actress’ little girl with hubby Dave Sanov, hitting a screening of <em>Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2</em> with Mom in 2013.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI (2)
13/75
<p>Hunter, seen here with his late dad in 2007, hasn’t gone into showbiz like the much-missed soap vet who played <em>Young & Restless</em>’ Abbott family patriarch, John; instead, the now-grown youngster has become a real-estate investor.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
14/75
<p>The actor behind <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> pot-stirrer Deacon put his honey where his mouth was, planting a kiss on the cheek of his baby girl Simone during a 2009 father/daughter outing.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
15/75
<p>Yup, guessing from this 2012 image of Cane’s former <em>Young & Restless</em> portrayer and his boys, Ford and Sebastian, they’re what you’d call a close family.</p>
Image: Lisa Rose/JPI
16/75
<p>There must be soap in their DNA: Two years after this 2002 photo was taken of Brook Kerr (then Whitney on <em>Passions</em>), he’d join <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> as Jimmy. Now, of course, Mom is back in daytime, playing Portia on <em>General Hospital.</em></p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
17/75
<p><em>Bold & Beautiful</em> is the perfect description for the family of Finn and Caitlin’s portrayers, shot here in 2021 with their firstborn, daughter Poppy. On second thought, maybe “shot” was a poor choice of words, considering the way Steffy’s husband was “killed.”</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI (2)
18/75
<p>Had the <em>Days of Our Lives</em> Emmy winner (who plays Eric) and firstborn Jathan not already been awarded ribbons back in 2011, we’d have had to have given them to the father/son duo for their sheer cuteness.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
19/75
<p>The word “squee” was all but <em>invented</em> to try to encapsulate the relative adorableness of little Ford, the son of <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em> leading man who plays Liam. The tyke’s not even smiling in this picture from 2019, and he <em>still</em> looks like he’s seconds away from out-cute-ing Bambi.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
20/75
<p>“They tell you it will go by fast… well, 18 years went by in a flash,” marveled Cameron Mathison on son Lucas’ birthday in 2021. Also seen here in this 2010 portrait is the <em>General Hospital</em> star and wife Vanessa’s adorable daughter, Leila (who’d turn 17 in 2023).</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
21/75
<p>In 2016, the <em>Days of Our Lives</em> legend and son Jack Daggenhurst (from her second marriage) pitched in at the L.A. Mission. Missing from this shot: Alfonso’s firstborn, son Gino Macauley. He’s in the next photo, though, from 2006…</p>
Image: Paul Skipper/JPI
22/75
<p>Aww. Look at Hope’s portrayer giving Gino that adoring look that we’ve all gotten at one time or another from our moms in those blissful instances when they’ve totally forgotten how many times they’ve had to send us to our rooms or ground us!</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI (2)
23/75
<p>In 2016, the same year the veteran of <em>Young & Restless</em> (as Rey), <em>Days of Our Lives</em> (as Dario), <em>All My Children</em> (as Griffin) and <em>Guiding Light</em> (as Tony) welcomed his second daughter with wife Kaitlin, the Emmy winner and their firstborn, Riley, had a ball — literally — hanging outdoors.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
24/75
<p>The force of nature who gave <em>All My Children</em> — and the world — Erica Kane watched daughter Liza Huber enter the soap world for a few years as <em>Passions</em>’ Gwen. Since this 2011 pic was taken, Liza has retired from acting and become an entrepreneur.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI (2)
25/75
<p>Good angle, bad angle… who cares? We love the absolute joy on the Emmy winner’s face in this 2002 snap in which she’s sweetly sandwiched by husband Helmut Huber (who, sadly, passed away in 2022) and their son, Andreas.</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
26/75
<p>The <em>Young & Restless</em> scene stealer, who plays Lauren, may have been horsing around with son Austin Recht (with former husband Ron Recht) at this 2014 photo shoot, but they still managed to take a gorgeous portrait. Missing from this shot: Austin’s brother, Landon.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
27/75
<p>Here’s Landon, with Mom at the 2008 Emmys. C’mon, we weren’t gonna let the horse get more facetime than Landon!</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
28/75
<p>The <em>Days of Our Lives</em> vet — who comes and goes as Jack like the seasons, it seems — has four kids, two with first wife Christina Saffran, two with his second, Lana Buss. Pictured with Dad in 2006 is his firstborn, daughter Grace.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
29/75
<p>In 2007, not too long before the launch of her reality show, the future <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> actress (who plays Shauna, as if you didn’t know) posed for paparazzi with Sam, one of her two daughters with ex-husband Charlie Sheen. Not for nothin’, Sam, but we feel ya, kid; sometimes we hate having our picture taken, too.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
30/75
<p>In 2007, the year that her superlative work as Laura on <em>General Hospital</em> finally won her a Daytime Emmy, the soap icon was able to share the experience with daughter Elizabeth, her second child with husband Jonathan Frakes of <em>Star Trek: The Next Generation</em> fame.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
31/75
<p>No need to be camera-shy with a face that cute, kiddo! On the left in this image from 2013 is, of course, the <em>Days of Our Lives</em> heartthrob who plays Eli; nestling into his shoulder is his firstborn, son Caden. Maybe daughter Gaia, born in 2012, is even better at hiding.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
32/75
<p>His hair’s gotten darker as he’s gotten older but Jesse, the son of <em>The Young and the Restless</em>’ Ashley and husband Vincent Van Patten sure had Mom’s sun-kissed blond locks back in 2009. On an unrelated note, does anyone know where we can get a head of hair that gorgeous?</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
33/75
<p><em>Bold & Beautiful</em> perfectly describes the young women who are near and dear to Quinn’s former portrayer: Pictured here during a 2017 visit to the set are daughter Avalon, with second husband Stanford Bookstaver; Meghann, the daughter of first husband Wally Kurth (Ned to her Lois on <em>General Hospital</em> back in the day); and daughter Rosabel, with Kurth.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
34/75
<p>The <em>General Hospital</em> Emmy winner who plays Alexis has said of her singer/songwriter daughter, Kate, “I birthed her and <a href="https://www.nancyleegrahn.com/family/" target="_blank">take no credit for her</a> talent and, more importantly, her beautiful soul. She came in that way.”</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
35/75
<p>Say “Cheese!” <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ Galen Gering (Rafe) and his sons, Dillon and Jensen, nailed it during a 2013 photo shoot. None of them even blinked!</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
36/75
<p>“I am so proud of the man that you’ve become,” the <em>Young & Restless</em> Emmy winner — Jill on screen — told son Cole on his 2021 birthday (or 17 years after this pic was snapped at a party for the CBS soap).</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
37/75
<p>The real-life daughter of <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ Steve — photographed with Dad in 2008 here — is now a recording artist who puts out music under her own first name, but with a twist: She adds an extra L.</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
38/75
<p>Aww. That’s the late, great <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> star — the original Sally Spectra, as if you didn’t know — with son Raymond on the set in 2014.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
39/75
<p>“Smile for the camera,” you can just imagine the photographer saying right before this shot was snapped in 2018. Dad Jason Thompson (Billy, <em>The Young and the Restless</em>) and mom Paloma Jonas obliged, of course. But kids Rome and Bowie? Being kids, not so much.</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
40/75
<p>The <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> patriarch, Eric to his on-screen friends and family, has three kids with wife Laurette Spang in real life: Jake, Rebecca and, seen here with Dad in 2012, Molly, a regular on the sitcom <em>Last Man Standing.</em></p>
Image: Jesse Grant/JPI
41/75
<p>In 2002, the <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> patriarch celebrated an Italian remote with his missus and two of their three kids, son Jake and, once again, Molly.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
42/75
<p>The <em>General Hospital</em> MVP, Carly on screen, got into the swing of things, so to speak, during a 2010 photo shoot with Lauren and John, her kids with former husband John Wright.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
43/75
<p>Oh, these two were more than <em>Friends</em>, they were family. The <em>Days of Our Lives</em> icon, who played Victor, was the father of Hollywood superstar Jennifer Aniston, with whom he’s pictured here in 2012. He also had a son, Alexander, with his second wife, Sherry Rooney, whom he met when they were castmates on <em>Love of Life.</em></p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
44/75
<p>This is “Like father, like son” taken to a whole new level by the <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> alum — much-missed as Rick — and sharp-dressed chip off the old block Luke at the 2016 Daytime Emmys. (MIA from this shot are Luke’s sisters, Grace and Molly.)</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
45/75
<p>In 2005, the <em>Young & Restless</em> Emmy winner, who plays Traci, was accompanied to a schmancy party in New York by daughter Emelia, who’s since become an accomplished bassoonist. Now <em>there’s</em> a word we don’t get to type every day!</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
46/75
<p>The real-life marriage of <em>General Hospital</em> exes Felicia and Frisco may not have stood the test of time, but it left them with a lasting friendship and two handsome sons, Peter and his kid brother, Harrison (who sadly <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/general-hospital/news/633203/general-hospital-kristina-jack-wagner-son-harrison-dead-at-27/" target="_blank">passed away in 2022</a>).</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
47/75
<p>Almost a decade after this picture was taken of<em> Days of Our Lives</em>’ Kristen (and Susan, for that matter), daughter Sophia, by then a grown woman and rising star, guested on the show as the masseuse whose appearance at Xander’s door made the audience gasp, “What’s going on here?”</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
48/75
<p>On hand when the <em>Young & Restless</em> legend celebrated her 35th anniversary as Nikki in 2014 were daughters Alexandra Yeaggy (from her previous marriage) and Elizabeth Scott (from her union with<em> Bold & Beautiful</em> producer Ed Scott), and stepdaughter Jennifer Scott.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI (2)
49/75
<p>We definitely give these shots from 2018 a big thumbs-up, too, boys! Levi and Jackson — the <em>General Hospital</em> alum’s sons with Don Money — clearly know that picture-taking is <em>ultra</em>-serious business. (Missing from this photo: Dakota, the daughter of Lulu’s portrayer, who would’ve been about a year old at the time.)</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
50/75
<p>It’s not for nothin’ that the soap vet, currently Dollar Bill on <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em>, named his autobiography <em>My Seven Sons and How We Raised Each Other</em>. Believe it or not, that’s how many he has: twins Anton and Davis (on the far left and far right), his kids with wife Cindy Ambuehl, and Lauren, Alexander, Luca and Sasha, his boys with his first wife. Missing from this shot: son No. 7 Drew Mazur, the nephew that the actor raised following his sister’s passing.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
51/75
<p>Talent apparently runs in the family. Christian Gudegast, the son of the actor who plays <em>The Young and the Restless</em>’ Victor (shot here in 2007), is an accomplished screenwriter whose credits include <em>A Man Apart</em> (starring Vin Diesel) and <em>London Has Fallen</em> (starring Morgan Freeman).</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
52/75