[OK] HELP! Insurance refused to pay for my Sister hospital bill
Hey everyone, I'm looking for advice or to hear from anyone who has been through something similar.
My sister gave birth on March at 35 weeks. The baby was critically I and was admitted to the NICU. She was then airlifted to a second hospital that specializes in caring for the sickest newborns.
Tragically, my niece passed away the next day after about 15 hours of life. Fast forward to June, and my sister and brother-inlaw have been overwhelmed with medical bills totaling an unbelievable amount. They recently found out that the insurance company denied coverage because they didn't enroll the baby within the required 30-day window We are in July now). They had no idea they still needed to manually add their baby to the insurance plan, especially after she had passed away. My sister genuinely believed the baby was already covered.
This has reopened the trauma of losing their daughter. On top of grieving, they're now facing the possibility of six-figure medical debt. The stress has become so overwhelming that my brother-in-law is now experiencing health issues himself.
Ps: My sister actually works at the first hospital where she delivered, and my brother-in-law works at the second hospital where their daughter was transferred by flight.
Has anyone been in a similar situation where:
You forgot to enroll a newborn within the 30-day window?
An employer insurance plan made an exception after an appeal?
You were able to get coverage approved after explaining the circumstances?
A hospital reduced or forgave a large portion of the bill through financial assistance or another program?
They're already working with HR/ insurance, but they (HR) won't cover it because they missed "30-day window" anyone has had success appealing under extraordinary circumstances like this.
Any advice or shared experiences would mean a lot. Thank you.