(MONEY Magazine) – To a casual observer, Geneva Finn, 15, who appears in the center of the photo at right, looks like any number of young women her age. But for two years, this Minneapolis teen has been afflicted by a bizarre medical condition that could have appeared in one of her beloved science fiction novels: Small lesions that turn to scars have been mysteriously appearing on her body. So far, none of the doctors who have examined her have been able to diagnose her ailment, let alone treat it. As if that frustration wasn't bad enough, MedCenters, the Finns' health maintenance organization, at first refused to refer Geneva to a topnotch specialist. The HMO, which costs the Finns $6,000 a year in premiums and out- of-pocket expenditures, initially referred her to five MedCenter dermatologists. None could offer a certain diagnosis, but all expressed concern that the baffling lesions might be symptomatic of subtle degeneration in Geneva's muscle tissue and joints, a problem that could eventually threaten her life. The Finns asked the HMO for permission to consult Peter Lynch, a nationally respected dermatologist who works at the University of Minnesota's hospital, but were turned down. MedCenters approved two visits to Lynch only after the Finns hired a lawyer to represent them. Not surprisingly, Geneva's father Charles, 43, a fellow at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, was furious at the HMO. "We followed all the rules of the plan, and they denied Geneva the care to which she was entitled," he says. "How could anyone make a 15-year-old girl endure such stress?" In June, however, the HMO suddenly relented and approved four more sessions with Lynch. Says Pam Lux, a spokesman for HealthPartners, the company that owns MedCenters: "The process of referring Geneva to a specialist should have gone a lot faster. We'll do whatever it takes to help the family get her diagnosed." Meanwhile, Geneva's condition is worsening. She now has more than 70 lesions on her body. Still, the Finns are hopeful. Says Charles: "I'm convinced that now MedCenters will act with Geneva's interest in mind." -- E.M.G.