A family from Saskatoon denied reimbursement for more than $800,000 in out-of-country medical fees says they’ve been told a review of the matter will be completed in the coming days.
The word comes after the family met privately with Saskatchewan Health Minister Paul Merriman Monday.
“I explained to the minister that at the time of Conner’s diagnosis we searched relentlessly for an option within Canada and that nothing was available to us,” Kristin Finn said of the meeting about her five-year-old son’s adrenoleukodystrophy treatment.
“I hope they’ll agree to cover his treatment.”
Finn told reporters Monday that though out-of-country coverage had not been approved, she and her husband sought out the expensive stem cell transplant and related care in Minnesota in 2020 after being informed Conner needed the operation immediately.
Their request for reimbursement of the $832,000 expenses was later denied by the Ministry of Health. Since then, Finn says she and her husband have had to spend their savings, delay retirement and move to Kansas City for work to keep their family afloat.
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“He (Merriman) agreed to speak with our specialist, Dr. Troy Lund in Minnesota, and I’m hopeful that they’ll have a look at our situation and see that we did what we had to do to save our son’s life.”
Global News reached out to Dr. Lund for comment but has not yet received a response.
During question period Tuesday Saskatchewan NDP leader Ryan Meili called on the government to reimburse the Finn family, whom he first introduced Monday.
In response, Premier Scott Moe said Merriman is “committed to looking into this file,” has engaged both the Ministry of Health and the Saskatchewan Health Authority in doing so, and “will be reporting back to the family in the coming days.”
Speaking to reporters, Moe said he wouldn’t comment on any potential outcome but added that “if the Minister is going to change his decision or keep it the same, he’s going to get back (to the family) very quickly, not in weeks or months.”
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