‘Birthday rule’ blindsides first-time Olathe parents with a mammoth medical bill
They expected things to work out fine between the insurance company and the hospitals. Then the bills came.
by Cara Anthony, Kaiser Health News
In the nine months leading up to her due date, Kayla Kjelshus and her husband, Mikkel, meticulously planned for their daughter’s arrival.
Their long to-do list included mapping out their family’s health insurance plan and registering for baby gear and supplies. They even nailed down child care ahead of her birth.
“We put a deposit down to hold a spot at a local day care following our first ultrasound,” said Kayla Kjelshus, of Olathe, Kansas.
Mikkel and Kayla Kjelshus daughter, Charlie, had a complication during delivery that caused her oxygen levels to drop and put her at risk for brain damage. Charlie needed seven days of neonatal intensive care, which resulted in a huge bill $207,455 for the NICU alone and confusion over which parent s insurer would cover the little girl s health costs. Christopher Smith / Kaiser Health News
Originally published on January 28, 2021 11:08 am
In the nine months leading up to her due date, Kayla Kjelshus and her husband, Mikkel, meticulously planned for their daughter s arrival.
Their long to-do list included mapping out their family s health insurance plan and registering for baby gear and supplies. They even nailed down child care ahead of her birth.
First-time parents blindsided by ‘the birthday rule’ and a $207,455 NICU bill
This Kansas couple felt ready for their daughter’s debut on Feb. 15, 2019. But one of the happiest days of their lives turned out to be one of the scariest.
Written By:
Cara Anthony / Kaiser Health News | 10:13 am, Jan. 28, 2021 ×
Mikkel and Kayla Kjelshus found out the hard way that they didn’t have a choice about which parent’s insurance was considered primary after daughter Charlie was born and spent seven days in the NICU. They might have avoided their quagmire if Mikkel had dropped his own coverage and gotten onto Kayla’s plan before Charlie was born. Christopher Smith for KHN
Listen • 5:25
Mikkel and Kayla Kjelshus daughter, Charlie, had a complication during delivery that caused her oxygen levels to drop and put her at risk for brain damage. Charlie needed seven days of neonatal intensive care, which resulted in a huge bill $207,455 for the NICU alone and confusion over which parent s insurer would cover the little girl s health costs.
In the nine months leading up to her due date, Kayla Kjelshus and her husband, Mikkel, meticulously planned for their daughter s arrival.
Their long to-do list included mapping out their family s health insurance plan and registering for baby gear and supplies. They even nailed down child care ahead of her birth.
Mikkel and Kayla Kjelshus daughter, Charlie, had a complication during delivery that caused her oxygen levels to drop and put her at risk for brain damage. Charlie needed seven days of neonatal intensive care, which resulted in a huge bill $207,455 for the NICU alone and confusion over which parent s insurer would cover the little girl s health costs. Christopher Smith for KHN
toggle caption Christopher Smith for KHN
Mikkel and Kayla Kjelshus daughter, Charlie, had a complication during delivery that caused her oxygen levels to drop and put her at risk for brain damage. Charlie needed seven days of neonatal intensive care, which resulted in a huge bill $207,455 for the NICU alone and confusion over which parent s insurer would cover the little girl s health costs.