Canadian mother billed $950K after giving birth in U.S.

[Skiddles2014]

A warm weather holiday has turned into a hot mess for a Saskatchewan couple.

Jennifer Huculak-Kimmel gave birth nine weeks early while on holiday in Hawaii last December. Her baby daughter had to be hospitalized.

"My water broke two days into our holiday," Huculak-Kimmel said. "I spent six weeks on bed rest and then baby Reece was delivered by emergency C-section on December 10th."

Reece had to stay in the hospital for just over two months. Huculak-Kimmel thought that her insurance would cover the almost $1 million US bill.

In the end, Blue Cross denied payment. In a letter to the family, a Blue Cross worker wrote, "We are unable to provide coverage for any medical expenses incurred for Ms. Huculak's baby" and "please note that Ms. Huculak's travel policy expired on Nov. 9, 2013."



The family is now unsure what they'll do next.

"Blue Cross said that because I had a bladder infection at four months and hemorrhaged because of that, that they would not cover the pregnancy," she said. "We thought we had done everything right. We thought we had covered all avenues and we thought we were covered. We thought we were safe to go."

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world...ar950k-us-after-giving-birth-in-us/ar-BBevNyd

Such a caring country.

 

[phrodeau]

The mother fell through the crack, and the baby... didn't.

 

[MrRandyWatson]

People think that charging exorbitant, unaffordable amounts of money to people who can't or won't pay for healthcare is a good idea for...what reason exactly?

I also wonder if the reverse is true. This past weekend, my wife and I went up to Michigan for the weekend for a Red Wings game, but our hotel was in Windsor, Ontario. Had I fallen and broken my wrist or something in Windsor, would my healthcare have been free despite me being an American?

 

[Stewart_Pidd]

at least she can tell people she has a million dollar baby bro!

Stew

 

[BotanyBoy]

Such a caring country.

But we gave Israel billions in cash and prizes!!

 

[Skiddles2014]

In all honesty, it's her insurance company that are equally as dick headed.

She was fully insured for a month and would have come home and had the baby, but she was put on bed rest for 6 weeks, keeping her there longer than her policy covered her for.

 

[Skiddles2014]

But we gave Israel billions in cash and prizes!!

Walls and oppression don't come cheap these days.

 

[chillywilly2]

People think that charging exorbitant, unaffordable amounts of money to people who can't or won't pay for healthcare is a good idea for...what reason exactly?

I also wonder if the reverse is true. This past weekend, my wife and I went up to Michigan for the weekend for a Red Wings game, but our hotel was in Windsor, Ontario. Had I fallen and broken my wrist or something in Windsor, would my healthcare have been free despite me being an American?

You would have been billed for it.

Depends on your insurance if they would pay or leave it to you.

Our insurance is not free, we do pay for it