$950K BABY
The couple hit with a hefty bill for their baby’s birth are encouraged by supporters.
The Saskatchewan couple hit with a $950,000 hospital bill after their baby was born prematurely on vacation in Hawaii say they’re encouraged by the outpouring of support.
Since they first shared their story earlier this week, Jennifer Huculak-Kimmel and her husband Darren say they’ve been flooded with calls and messages on the Internet.
“The last 24 hours have been very overwhelming for our family. The support, response, and reaction to our story is unbelievable,” Jennifer said in an email statement Wednesday.
“We are feeling exhausted today but are in high spirits. We have not changed our minds, nor have we made any decisions.”
Jennifer was 24 weeks pregnant when the couple headed to Hawaii in November 2013 for a last bit of rest before the child came. They purchased travel insurance from Saskatchewan Blue Cross before going. She is adamant they answered all questions from the Blue Cross representative and were told they were covered.
Jennifer’s water broke two days into the trip. She was airlifted to a Hawaiian hospital and spent six weeks in bed before their daughter, Reece, was born by emergency C-section on Dec. 10.
Saskatchewan Blue Cross refused the couple’s claim on the grounds of “pre-existing conditions.” Jennifer said the only condition she had during the pregnancy was a bladder infection about two months before the trip, but her doctor was aware of it and still cleared her to travel.
A Saskatchewan lawyer specializing in insurance claims said he handles a few similar cases each year, but he’s never seen anything this large.
“THE SUPPORT, RESPONSE AND REACTION TO OUR STORY IS UNBELIEVABLE. WE ARE FEELING EXHAUSTED TODAY BUT ARE IN HIGH SPIRITS.” JENNIFER HUCULAK-KIMMEL
“That’s quite a big one. That tops it for me,” said Regina lawyer Kenneth Noble.
He said insurance companies carefully evaluate a claim to see if there’s fraud, or if there are other reasons to reject a claim.
“If they can avoid coverage, they will,” he said.
That said, the person taking out the insurance has to make sure they’re totally forthright about their history. They also have to ensure they understand the details of the policy.
Without knowing the facts of this case, it’s impossible to judge who’s right, he said.
The family can ask a lawyer to investigate and possibly enlist experts to provide opinions, then take that information back to the insurance company. If the disagreement persists, there are several legal steps which take place before a lawsuit would be heard in court, Noble said.
He noted most cases are resolved before reaching that stage.