$1M Childbirth Cost

Sugargirl1019

Is this because she was in Hawaii when she went into premature labor? Or what? I'm floored.

https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/mother-owes-nearly-1-million-for-daughters-birth-103061950107.html

lyndausvi

 They claim it's was a preexisting condition because she had at one time an infection or something that sometimes causes your water to break.    

Bull shit if you ask me.  But not surprising, no insurance company is going to had over $1M without a fight.

lovegood90

I read about this! Just crazy. I'm still confused if it was actually an at-risk pregnancy or not? Doesn't sound like it is.

Unrelated but kind of, does anyone remember that story about a Canadian woman who got free tropical trips from the government, because the cold affected her health or something?

beethery

lovegood90 said:

I read about this! Just crazy. I'm still confused if it was actually an at-risk pregnancy or not? Doesn't sound like it is.

Unrelated but kind of, does anyone remember that story about a Canadian woman who got free tropical trips from the government, because the cold affected her health or something?

My BFF's eczema BLEW THE FUCK UP a couple days ago from how cold it's been, I wonder if she could get her insurance to do that for her.

lovegood90

beethery said:

lovegood90 said:

I read about this! Just crazy. I'm still confused if it was actually an at-risk pregnancy or not? Doesn't sound like it is.

Unrelated but kind of, does anyone remember that story about a Canadian woman who got free tropical trips from the government, because the cold affected her health or something?

My BFF's eczema BLEW THE FUCK UP a couple days ago from how cold it's been, I wonder if she could get her insurance to do that for her.

She should totally try! I wish I could find that story again, it was pretty hilariously absurd.

KatWAG

Ugh, can we please not start the health care debate again.

SBmini

This should read "American healthcare what" Healthcare only works in the country you are covered. If I go to Mexico and break my leg, I can't use my insurance to pay for it. However, if I go to Canada and break my leg, I'm covered under their health care system. Even though I don't live there. In America, since our healthcare isn't universal- you need to buy coverage to be covered if you travel here. 

This couple purchased American travel health insurance. They got sign off from their doctor to travel. They had a medical emergency. And scumbag Blue Cross won't cover it. Fuck Blue Cross. This shit makes us look bad to every other civilized culture that has universal healthcare.

theartistformerlyknownas

It should really read "healthcare what." Regardless of who's paying or not paying, it shouldn't be a million dollars worth of care to deliver and care for a preemie. Whoever got the bill, it shouldn't have been that high.

amelisha

Yep. It's kind of a failure on both ends, but our healthcare covers nothing outside of Canada. It'll pay your hospital stay in Winnipeg or Inuvik but they can't do a thing if you get sick in Idaho Falls. That's why it's important to get travel health insurance.

These people did, but both they and their doctor seem to have believed the policy covered her pregnancy but the travel insurance people are saying that pregnancy is included in the "pre-existing conditions" that preclude you from coverage. 

The whole situation is bad news. 

southernbelle0915

SBmini said:

This should read "American healthcare what" Healthcare only works in the country you are covered. If I go to Mexico and break my leg, I can't use my insurance to pay for it. However, if I go to Canada and break my leg, I'm covered under their health care system. Even though I don't live there. In America, since our healthcare isn't universal- you need to buy coverage to be covered if you travel here. 

This couple purchased American travel health insurance. They got sign off from their doctor to travel. They had a medical emergency. And scumbag Blue Cross won't cover it. Fuck Blue Cross. This shit makes us look bad to every other civilized culture that has universal healthcare.

The bolded isn't necessarily true. My health plan will pay for health related expenses incurred overseas. They review it and make sure it's medically necessary (like I'm not going overseas to get a boob job), but if I broke my leg in Mexico, my treatment would be covered.

It completely and entirely depends on your plan.

loveislouder

I read this a while back and was just so sad. It sucks.  It's almost exactly like that woman from Australia that gave birth in BC and now has a million dollar hospital bill.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2012/03/28/australian_couple_gives_birth_to_milliondollar_baby.html

lyndausvi

southernbelle0915 said:

SBmini said:

This should read "American healthcare what" Healthcare only works in the country you are covered. If I go to Mexico and break my leg, I can't use my insurance to pay for it. However, if I go to Canada and break my leg, I'm covered under their health care system. Even though I don't live there. In America, since our healthcare isn't universal- you need to buy coverage to be covered if you travel here. 

This couple purchased American travel health insurance. They got sign off from their doctor to travel. They had a medical emergency. And scumbag Blue Cross won't cover it. Fuck Blue Cross. This shit makes us look bad to every other civilized culture that has universal healthcare.

The bolded isn't necessarily true. My health plan will pay for health related expenses incurred overseas. They review it and make sure it's medically necessary (like I'm not going overseas to get a boob job), but if I broke my leg in Mexico, my treatment would be covered.

It completely and entirely depends on your plan.

and it's my understanding that you will be billed by Canada for any healthcare you receive up there.

If not everyone in the boarder states would get hurt or become ill in order to get free healthcare. 

amelisha

southernbelle0915 said:

SBmini said:

This should read "American healthcare what" Healthcare only works in the country you are covered. If I go to Mexico and break my leg, I can't use my insurance to pay for it. However, if I go to Canada and break my leg, I'm covered under their health care system. Even though I don't live there. In America, since our healthcare isn't universal- you need to buy coverage to be covered if you travel here. 

This couple purchased American travel health insurance. They got sign off from their doctor to travel. They had a medical emergency. And scumbag Blue Cross won't cover it. Fuck Blue Cross. This shit makes us look bad to every other civilized culture that has universal healthcare.

The bolded isn't necessarily true. My health plan will pay for health related expenses incurred overseas. They review it and make sure it's medically necessary (like I'm not going overseas to get a boob job), but if I broke my leg in Mexico, my treatment would be covered.

It completely and entirely depends on your plan.

That is true. My supplemental insurance (that my employer provides) includes travel medical, so I don't have to purchase any when I travel. 

But where I live, Alberta Health Care, the kind you get from the government because you live there and is paid by your taxes and not you personally or through work or whatever (and doesn't come from a private company), doesn't include any kind of travel coverage that I am aware of. I'd need to go through my or my fiance's work benefits if I needed to see a doctor in the US.

SBmini

I was assuming on that part. When I traveled to Europe I never got health coverage because I would be covered under their universal health care plans, I thought Canada would be the same. But if someone from Europe comes to the US- they need to buy insurance for their trip. It doesn't cover them outside of their boundaries. 

LadyMillil

SBmini said:

I was assuming on that part. When I traveled to Europe I never got health coverage because I would be covered under their universal health care plans, I thought Canada would be the same. But if someone from Europe comes to the US- they need to buy insurance for their trip. It doesn't cover them outside of their boundaries. 

It's not. I have a friend that lives in the US and works in Canada. When she was pregnant she was worried about going into labour in Canada and having to deliver here because she wouldn't be able to make it back to the US. If she delivered in Canada she would have had to pay all the medical bills. You have to meet certain residency requirements to get the universal health care in Canada.

hellohkb

You guys, she should plan these things before she goes and does something irresponsible like go into labor. I mean come on.

/sarcasm

amelisha

Especially three months early, right? 

Honestly, most of the time I roll my eyes at these stories (and they are not infrequent) because it's usually a case of people not reading and not understanding what they're actually purchasing. But it actually seems like this couple did some due diligence and even brought the forms to their doctor, so I have sympathy for them.

I admit, though, I'd think twice about traveling internationally while pregnant unless it was really, really necessary and it is for this reason. I used to be a travel agent and I have heard so many horror stories about issues with travel insurance, so I'm extremely wary. I usually buy an extra policy for my fiance above the stuff we have through work, though, because the extra few dollars a day makes me feel better in case one of those policies won't cover him and something does happen (he's not ill but he does have some severe allergies and I have a nightmare that he'll go into anaphylaxis and cost us our savings or worse.)

SBmini

LadyMillil said:

SBmini said:

I was assuming on that part. When I traveled to Europe I never got health coverage because I would be covered under their universal health care plans, I thought Canada would be the same. But if someone from Europe comes to the US- they need to buy insurance for their trip. It doesn't cover them outside of their boundaries. 

It's not. I have a friend that lives in the US and works in Canada. When she was pregnant she was worried about going into labour in Canada and having to deliver here because she wouldn't be able to make it back to the US. If she delivered in Canada she would have had to pay all the medical bills. You have to meet certain residency requirements to get the universal health care in Canada.

Let's get back to the point at hand here. The mother, knowing she was traveling outside of where her insurance covered her, purchased additional medical insurance. That insurance she purchased denied her under bullshit 'preexisting conditions' excuse and billed her the full million dollars. That is not OK. And it's not OK for it to cost a million dollars to have a baby. These are both problems with the US system- with the US carrier who denied her, and with the US hospital who billed the insurance company a million dollars. 

jenna8984

Obviously I think this is a bunch of bull shit but I am curious what happens if they just don't pay any of it. Can it affect their Canadian credit score? Even if it does trash their credit score, I'd deal with that and just live my life. I doubt that you could be extradited or thrown in jail because if that were the case there would be millions of people in jail...there are millions of people who never pay medical debt. I think my husband had a hospital bill 10 years ago that he never paid and it hasn't affected him or his credit to this day. 

huskypuppy14

Was it a US insurance carrier? It's BCBS of Saskatchewan, in Canada.

SBmini said:

LadyMillil said:

SBmini said:

I was assuming on that part. When I traveled to Europe I never got health coverage because I would be covered under their universal health care plans, I thought Canada would be the same. But if someone from Europe comes to the US- they need to buy insurance for their trip. It doesn't cover them outside of their boundaries. 

It's not. I have a friend that lives in the US and works in Canada. When she was pregnant she was worried about going into labour in Canada and having to deliver here because she wouldn't be able to make it back to the US. If she delivered in Canada she would have had to pay all the medical bills. You have to meet certain residency requirements to get the universal health care in Canada.

Let's get back to the point at hand here. The mother, knowing she was traveling outside of where her insurance covered her, purchased additional medical insurance. That insurance she purchased denied her under bullshit 'preexisting conditions' excuse and billed her the full million dollars. That is not OK. And it's not OK for it to cost a million dollars to have a baby. These are both problems with the US system- with the US carrier who denied her, and with the US hospital who billed the insurance company a million dollars. 

lyndausvi

huskypuppy14 said:

Was it a US insurance carrier? It's BCBS of Saskatchewan, in Canada.

SBmini said:

LadyMillil said:

SBmini said:

I was assuming on that part. When I traveled to Europe I never got health coverage because I would be covered under their universal health care plans, I thought Canada would be the same. But if someone from Europe comes to the US- they need to buy insurance for their trip. It doesn't cover them outside of their boundaries. 

It's not. I have a friend that lives in the US and works in Canada. When she was pregnant she was worried about going into labour in Canada and having to deliver here because she wouldn't be able to make it back to the US. If she delivered in Canada she would have had to pay all the medical bills. You have to meet certain residency requirements to get the universal health care in Canada.

Let's get back to the point at hand here. The mother, knowing she was traveling outside of where her insurance covered her, purchased additional medical insurance. That insurance she purchased denied her under bullshit 'preexisting conditions' excuse and billed her the full million dollars. That is not OK. And it's not OK for it to cost a million dollars to have a baby. These are both problems with the US system- with the US carrier who denied her, and with the US hospital who billed the insurance company a million dollars. 

That was my understanding also.

And to be fair, the link above was about an Australian couple who gave birth in Canada and was given a $1M bill also.       So it's not just US hospitals that have outrageous bills.  

PrettyGirlLost

SBmini said:

LadyMillil said:

SBmini said:

I was assuming on that part. When I traveled to Europe I never got health coverage because I would be covered under their universal health care plans, I thought Canada would be the same. But if someone from Europe comes to the US- they need to buy insurance for their trip. It doesn't cover them outside of their boundaries. 

It's not. I have a friend that lives in the US and works in Canada. When she was pregnant she was worried about going into labour in Canada and having to deliver here because she wouldn't be able to make it back to the US. If she delivered in Canada she would have had to pay all the medical bills. You have to meet certain residency requirements to get the universal health care in Canada.

Let's get back to the point at hand here. The mother, knowing she was traveling outside of where her insurance covered her, purchased additional medical insurance. That insurance she purchased denied her under bullshit 'preexisting conditions' excuse and billed her the full million dollars. That is not OK. And it's not OK for it to cost a million dollars to have a baby. These are both problems with the US system- with the US carrier who denied her, and with the US hospital who billed the insurance company a million dollars. 

Before we flip the switch right to outrageous outrage, we should probably get all the facts straight:

I believe the insurance company at the heart of this story is a Canadian company: https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/mother-owes-nearly-1-million-for-daughters-birth-103061950107.html

http://www.popsugar.com/moms/Child-Birth-Results-950000-Medical-Bill-36137702

http://www.sk.bluecross.ca/about_us/

"We're a Saskatchewan owned not-for-profit company that puts people and service first. . . We are a member of the Canadian Association of Blue Cross Plans"

Sugargirl1019

Eek. And not that it's okay to have a million dollar child birth, but NICUs are expensive! The baby was in NICU for over 2 months, I think it said. So it doesn't surprise me her hospital bills got that high.

Private insurance is scary since they can deny you for preexisting conditions, and you never know what they might call a preexisting condition. This lady just had everything go wrong that could go wrong at the worst possible time, even though she attempted to adequately plan for it. So sad. And filing for bankruptcy?

So I guess I will learn from this and not travel when I'm pregnant.

LadyMillil

lyndausvi said:

huskypuppy14 said:

Was it a US insurance carrier? It's BCBS of Saskatchewan, in Canada.

SBmini said:

LadyMillil said:

SBmini said:

I was assuming on that part. When I traveled to Europe I never got health coverage because I would be covered under their universal health care plans, I thought Canada would be the same. But if someone from Europe comes to the US- they need to buy insurance for their trip. It doesn't cover them outside of their boundaries. 

It's not. I have a friend that lives in the US and works in Canada. When she was pregnant she was worried about going into labour in Canada and having to deliver here because she wouldn't be able to make it back to the US. If she delivered in Canada she would have had to pay all the medical bills. You have to meet certain residency requirements to get the universal health care in Canada.

Let's get back to the point at hand here. The mother, knowing she was traveling outside of where her insurance covered her, purchased additional medical insurance. That insurance she purchased denied her under bullshit 'preexisting conditions' excuse and billed her the full million dollars. That is not OK. And it's not OK for it to cost a million dollars to have a baby. These are both problems with the US system- with the US carrier who denied her, and with the US hospital who billed the insurance company a million dollars. 

That was my understanding also.

And to be fair, the link above was about an Australian couple who gave birth in Canada and was given a $1M bill also.       So it's not just US hospitals that have outrageous bills.  

Most travel insurance plans don't automatically cover pregnancy related issues, labour/delivery and care for pre-mature infants. When purchasing travel insurance the couple should have been informed that pregnancy stuff is not included and that an additional insurance package would need to be added to the travel plan. I had to check my work travel insurance and the Government of Canada website to find this out so I'm not sure how common this information is. I'm hoping something can be done to help this couple.

amelisha

PrettyGirlLost said:

SBmini said:

LadyMillil said:

SBmini said:

I was assuming on that part. When I traveled to Europe I never got health coverage because I would be covered under their universal health care plans, I thought Canada would be the same. But if someone from Europe comes to the US- they need to buy insurance for their trip. It doesn't cover them outside of their boundaries. 

It's not. I have a friend that lives in the US and works in Canada. When she was pregnant she was worried about going into labour in Canada and having to deliver here because she wouldn't be able to make it back to the US. If she delivered in Canada she would have had to pay all the medical bills. You have to meet certain residency requirements to get the universal health care in Canada.

Let's get back to the point at hand here. The mother, knowing she was traveling outside of where her insurance covered her, purchased additional medical insurance. That insurance she purchased denied her under bullshit 'preexisting conditions' excuse and billed her the full million dollars. That is not OK. And it's not OK for it to cost a million dollars to have a baby. These are both problems with the US system- with the US carrier who denied her, and with the US hospital who billed the insurance company a million dollars. 

Before we flip the switch right to outrageous outrage, we should probably get all the facts straight:

I believe the insurance company at the heart of this story is a Canadian company: https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/mother-owes-nearly-1-million-for-daughters-birth-103061950107.html

http://www.popsugar.com/moms/Child-Birth-Results-950000-Medical-Bill-36137702

http://www.sk.bluecross.ca/about_us/

"We're a Saskatchewan owned not-for-profit company that puts people and service first. . . We are a member of the Canadian Association of Blue Cross Plans"

That's correct. She purchased supplemental insurance intended to cover her in the US through a Canadian carrier. That Canadian company is now saying she was ineligible for coverage in the US because of a bladder infection she had in her fourth month of pregnancy, which they are claiming was a pre-existing condition. They are also saying that the coverage expired because the family remained in the US after their intended departure (thanks to the medical emergency, which began while they were still covered.)

It's crap and it isn't the fault of the US or Canadian governments or health care policies. It's purely an issue with a private insurance company.

WinstonsGirl

amelisha got it right.  But she was also told by the representative on the phone when purchasing it that they would be covered, so she believed that.  Apparently, the representative was wrong.  

There was an insurance lawyer on the news last night about this saying that most insurance lawyers have trouble understanding the policies, and that's their job.  Someone started crowd funding for them.  The couple says that if it's eventually covered by the insurance company, they'll donate it all to their local Stollery Childern's Hospital since they won't need it.