Jennifer Huculak, a resident of the Canadian province Saskatchewan, was two days into her 2013 Hawaiian vacation when her water unexpectedly broke. She was only 6 months pregnant and spent the next 6 weeks on bed rest in a Hawaiian hospital. Her daughter was born 9 weeks early via emergency C-section and spent two months in intensive care on American soil.
It has been one year and the Huculak family are back at home and their daughter is healthy.
Here’s the rub: Their little holiday excursion to the states – and unexpected medical emergency – resulted in a bill from the U.S. hospital for $950.000.
“It makes you sick to your stomach,” Huculak told CTV News. “Who can pay a million-dollar medical bill? Who can afford that?”
Prior to their vacation, the couple purchased travel insurance from Blue Cross, but because Jennifer had a bladder infection when she was four months pregnant, Blue Cross says she had a pre-existing condition which resulted in the pregnancy complication, and therefore Blue Cross will not cover her medical expenses. Additionally, Blue Cross claims the coverage the Huculaks purchased had expired while they were in Hawaii.
“The specialist in Hawaii said that these things just happen. There’s nothing that causes them,” Huculak said.
Her specialist in Saskatchewan has written to Blue Cross, asserting that the bladder infection did not lead to Huculak’s early labor. However her coverage was still denied.
A frustrated Jennifer Huculak told CBC News that she thought she had done everything she was supposed to do and had followed the rules. She explained that after her water broke, she tried to figure out how to get back to Canada was unable to find a medical evaluation company that was willing to transport her in her condition.
Travel insurance is not currently subject to the regulations of the Affordable Care Act and doesn’t apply to people who are not citizens of the United States.
Childbirth costs more in the U.S. than any other country in the world, and this particular case was inflated because of the complications.
The Huculaks are trying to decide how to proceed. They will either be forced to fight Blue Cross or declare bankruptcy.
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