HUMBOLDT, Saskatchewan, Nov. 19 (UPI) -- A Canadian couple got stuck with an enormous hospital bill after their baby came nine weeks early while they were on vacation in Hawaii.
Jennifer Huculak-Kimmel was almost six months pregnant when her water broke two days into her Hawaii trip in October 2013. She ended up staying in the hospital for two months -- six weeks of bed rest before her daughter was born by emergency C-section -- and got slapped with a $950,000 hospital bill.
Huculak-Kimmel and her husband had purchased Blue Cross insurance before the trip and said they got approval from her doctor to travel.
"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."
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The final bill ended up including $160,000 for Huculak-Kimmel's hospital stay, $40,000 for a medical evacuation, and the rest -- $750,000 -- to care for her premie daughter.
Saskatchewan Health has picked up $20,000 of the bill and the U.S. paid $12,000 for the baby's delivery, but the Huculak-Kimmel and her husband are left holding a $918,000 bill Blue Cross won't touch.
The insurance company wrote in December, explaining that her claim had been denied, citing a pre-existing condition.
Further to our telephone conversation today, please note that we are unable to provide coverage for any medical expenses incurred for Ms. Huculak's baby.
As Ms. Huculak's emergency medical claim has been denied on the basis that her medical emergency is excluded from coverage under the terms of her pre-existing condition provision, her baby is also not eligible for coverage. In addition, please note that Ms. Huculak's travel policy expired on November 9, 2013.
If you have any additional questions regarding this patient, please do not hesitate to contact me by telephone at 306-667-5285 or by email at [email protected]. Regards,
Michelle Fleming Health and Dental Claims, Blue Cross Saskatchewan
"As of March, Blue Cross pretty much washed their hands of the whole case," she said. "We've just kind of been sitting ducks not knowing what to do," she said.
