Canadian woman who gave birth in Hawaii billed almost $1M US

A warm weather holiday has turned into a hot mess for a Saskatchewan couple.

Jennifer Huculak-Kimmel gave birth nine weeks early while on holiday in Hawaii last December. Her baby daughter had to be hospitalized.

"My water broke two days into our holiday," Huculak-Kimmel said. "I spent six weeks on bed rest and then baby Reece was delivered by emergency C-section on December 10th."

Reece had to stay in the hospital for just over two months. Huculak-Kimmel thought that her insurance would cover the almost $1 million US bill.

In the end, Blue Cross denied payment. In a letter to the family, a Blue Cross worker wrote, "We are unable to provide coverage for any medical expenses incurred for Ms. Huculak's baby" and "please note that Ms. Huculak's travel policy expired on Nov. 9, 2013."

Jennifer Huculak-Kimmel gave birth to baby Reece nine weeks early, while on vacation in Hawaii. (David Shield/CBC)

The family is now unsure what they'll do next.

"Blue Cross said that because I had a bladder infection at four months and hemorrhaged because of that, that they would not cover the pregnancy," she said. "We thought we had done everything right. We thought we had covered all avenues and we thought we were covered. We thought we were safe to go."

Huculak-Kimmel said she tried everything possible to get back to Canada.

"We looked at all avenues to trying to get medevac (an air ambulance) home," she said. "One medevac company would not fly me in my condition and the other one would only do it with a surgical team on board and still recommended me not travel."

Huculak-Kimmel said she met with her own doctor, and Blue Cross, before the trip.

The family is still trying to figure out what to do about the bill.