Watch above: A couple from Humboldt, Sask. was slapped with a $950,000 U.S. medical bill from a premature birth in Hawaii. Thanks to an appearance on a radio talk show, the parents have been hooked up with a lawyer who’s confident they won’t have to pay up.
SASKATOON – A Saskatchewan couple could soon have legal aid from a Toronto-based lawyer as they face a $950,000 U.S. medical bill. On Saturday, Jennifer Huculak told her story on the Roy Green Show. Sivan Tumarkin, an insurance lawyer from Toronto, was also invited on the radio talk show segment and he stepped up to help.
“I was able to get a lot of information that was relevant. I still don’t have all the information I need, but I have I think sufficient information to make an assessment that -in my view at least – Blue Cross has absolutely no leg to stand on,” said Tumarkin.
More: Million-dollar baby: Hawaii vacation leaves Sask. parents with massive medical bill
Huculak gave birth prematurely to her daughter Reese while on vacation in Hawaii. She spent six weeks in hospital before her daughter was born. Blue Cross refuses to pay the bill, saying Huculak had “pre-existing conditions.” Huculak said her only condition during pregnancy was a bladder infection about two months before the trip.
“My doctor told me I could go. We were told we were covered,” Huculak explained.
“Not only was she not high-risk … she was normal,” said Tumarkin.
“She had an ultrasound shortly before she went – her doctor gave her a blessing and said, ‘go, enjoy.’”
Related: What to ask when getting travel insurance
Tumarkin is offering the Saskatchewan couple free legal advice. He was on the phone with them for an hour Sunday morning and plans to gather more information over the next week before sending a letter to the Blue Cross.
Watch below: Parents of ‘Million Dollar Baby’ speak out about their ordeal
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