Bryleigh, Age 11

My husband and I had to declare bankruptcy this past year because the medical bills and formula were so costly. Our former HMO did not cover her medically necessary formula at a cost to us of $1,500 per month just in the formula. Not to mention the very specialized foods that was required to keep her out of the hospital. Not only did Cigna not cover the formula but they also did not want to cover the supplies needed for her feeding tube. Because of their lack of coverage her hospital stays were extended upwards of 7 days while the hospital awaited approval. All of our appeals for both formula and hospital coverage have been denied which resulted in our financial demise. total cost to our family for 1 year was close to $65,000. We were denied for formula because she did not have an “inborn error of metabolism”, we were denied hospital coverage because the hospital was not in network and that an in network provider was available even though the preferred insurance doctor was the one that kept our daughter sick for 4 years. The medicaid pays for all of her formula now. But it took her getting a feeding tube to get the coverage.