The family of a 9-year-old girl is having to turn to fundraising after their insurance company refuses to pay for a prosthetic arm for her. She was born without her left arm. But the insurance company told her it is "not medically necessary" for a prosthetic.
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9-year-old Remy Bateman was born without one arm "due to an amniotic band in the womb." For most of her life, she's relied on prosthetics, but she's recently outgrew them. Her family hoped that they could get her a robotic arm and went to Colorado to test out the Hero Arm.
The family was amazed at what Remy could do with the prosthetic. However, their insurance Select Health denied the prosthetic, saying it wasn't medically necessary. The family has since appealed the denial.
"They've approved three prosthetics before in her lifetime, so I can't figure out why they refuse to deny this one," Jami told KUTV. Without insurance, the prosthetic costs $24,000.
The family saw how the advanced robotic arm could be life-changing for their daughter.
"This is 100 percent needed," her mother said. "We have seen what she can do being over in Colorado for three days. She wore the prosthetic for a trial. She was able to do 110 percent times things she was able to do here at home."
Insurance Refuses To Pay For Prosthetic
Select Health refused to comment publicly on the matter. Instead, the family launched GoFundMe page to try to raise the funds. Fortunately, they managed to raise more than $24,000 so far.
"Hello! This GoFundMe is for my 9-year-old daughter, Remi. She was born missing her left hand due to an amniotic band in the womb," her mother wrote. "She recently has been asking for a robotic arm, saying it will help her feel more confident in her abilities day to day,' her mother wrote, adding that because of her disability Remy has 'unfortunately dealing with some bullying."
The family plans to buy the prosthetic themselves if need be.
'We've seen what she can do with the prosthetic. It's life-changing, and she deserves the chance to use it,' she continued. "The family continues to press Select Health for a change, advocating for both their daughter and others who might face similar insurance challenges."
