‘We think we can breathe again’: Blue Cross Course reverses, covering SASK. [Video]

#Wefeel #breathe #Blue
https://gotopnews.com/post/1871295
The Saskatchewan Blue Cross had a sudden change of mind. Louis Lamothe’s family, 72, Halbrite, Sask. A man who suffered a stroke while vacationing in Arizona had to pay home $56,000 for a medical flight and faced thousands of expected bills from US hospitals when his travel insurance claims were denied. The family says that on Thursday evening, the insurance company informed them that they would cover all costs. “We feel like we can breathe again,” Lamothe’s granddaughter Rebecca Fee told CBC News. “There are some smiles at last. “I’m very relieved that Blue Cross has reversed their decision. They haven’t given us a reason why they changed their minds, but as long as they’re covering it up, I don’t need that reason.” Charge suspects its national media coverage was a reason for the sudden turnaround, but said the insurance company “rejected it as a reason”. He said Blue Cross, which is in consultation with US hospitals, informed them Friday afternoon that hospital charges were “more than half a million Canadian dollars”. In an email exchange Friday morning, Saskatchewan Blue Cross denied an interview but confirmed through standard claims management processes that the situation was settled. “As with all claims and claims decisions, privacy requirements prohibit us from sharing certain details,” the statement said. An excerpt from letter that Saskatchewan Blue Cross sent to the family on Thursday evening, detailing costs Lamothe would cover for emergency medical services in Arizona. The letter that Blue Cross sent to family on Thursday evening states that the insurer accepted “emergency medical care-related expenses” received in Arizona between February 3 and February 26, 2023, after reviewing family’s claim. “They cover hospital bills from Yuma and Phoenix, the medical flight home, and they offered $500 for extra costs, which of course was closer to $10,000,” Fee said. “They even ship his truck home from Yuma, Arizona. We’ll see what else they can do for us after this very, very long month. I’m glad they’re taking responsibility for that.” Fee says the claim shouldn’t be denied in the first place. He said insurance company claimed it was because Lamothe had not disclosed a change in the dose of cholesterol medication he was taking. Lamothe on a 10 milligram pill three months before she left for the US and was increased to 20 milligrams in July because the family not notified of Blue Cross’s dose increase, Blue Cross refused to insure. Because Lamothe stayed in the hospital or returned home. Fee told CBC on Monday that grandmother, Arlene Lamothe, who told CBC this stalemate would mean her selling Halbrite home, “screamed, hugged and cried” when she learned the news. Rebecca Fee and her grandmother, Arlene Lamothe, review some of the latest medical bills the family is facing. Fee says she has 54 pages and lots of documents to review, and she must submit all expense receipts to Blue Cross for reimbursement. “They specifically stated that it was my grandfather who had to sign the papers. How does he do this when he is left-handed and paralyzed?” “I need to find his power attorney papers and I have two full days of paperwork ahead me, but the end is near.” Fee says he wants to focus all of his family’s energies on Lamothe’s recovery. “The long road to recovery” Lamothe is stable, but still connected to the feeding tube. Fee says he was able to sit in the medical chair several times with the help of his grandfather’s medical staff at Regina General Hospital. “He definitely has a long way to go for his recovery and rehab. He can say some words right now but it’s a miracle to even see him try to speak,” she said. Fare advises others to triple-check medications and health records before traveling: It’s essential to read the fine print before buying a travel insurance policy. He is grateful to Blue Cross, who will contact two Arizona hospitals directly on Friday for bills and send the family a check reimbursing medical trip. Louis Lamothe, seen in his bed at Regina General Hospital on Tuesday, is recovering from a stroke that paralyzed his left side. The family says he’s starting to talk slowly, but the road to recovery will be long. “Even our local fundraising event here in Estevan [Sask.] will continue to help my grandmother. It’s hard to see such support flowing.” Fee says it may take a year for his grandfather to recover. This ordeal also took an emotional toll on personal family, as she left three children at home with husband for almost a month while helping family in Arizona. “My grandfather was an avid gardener. I want to make him a raised garden bed right after he recovers—whether in our home, his house, or outside of a retirement home, if it ends up there,” he said. “I don’t want him to garden ever again. I want him to keep going, whether he’s in his