Family of nine-year-old girl born without her left arm are told new prosthetic ‘not medically necessary’
The family of a nine-year-old girl born without a left arm has been told by their insurance company that a new prosthesis is ‘not medically necessary’.
Remy Bateman, from Utah, has lived her entire life with only one arm “due to an amniotic ligament in the womb” that caused her to lose the limb at birth, according to her mother Jami Batemen.
The schoolgirl has always relied on prosthetics, but after recently outgrowing them, her family decided to upgrade her to a robotic arm.
They traveled to Colorado, where Remy got to test the Hero Arm, and they quickly felt a sense of joy at how functional it was.
But her happiness was shattered when Select Health sent a denial letter to her mother, saying the new prosthetic was “not medically necessary.”
Jami immediately appealed the company’s decision as she became confused as to why they refused to cover the costs.
“They’ve already approved three prosthetics in her life, so I don’t understand why they refuse to deny this one,” Jami said. CUTV.
Remy Bateman, a nine-year-old from Utah, was born without her left arm below the elbow ‘due to an amniotic band in the uterus’
Despite sending an appeal letter to Select Health, Jami said she received another letter denying coverage for Remy’s new arm, which costs $24,000 without insurance.
During their stay in Colorado, Jami said her daughter visibly did well wearing the robotic arm.
“This is 100 percent necessary,” her mother said, adding that they have seen firsthand what their daughter is capable of with the advanced prosthesis.
“We’ve seen what she can do when she’s in Colorado for three days.
‘She wore the prosthesis for a test. She could do 110 percent more than what she could do here at home,” Jami remembers.
Select Health sent a denial letter to her mother, stating that the new prosthesis was “not medically necessary” and that the insurance company would not cover it
Select Health told KUTV they could not comment on the claim because the company cited privacy laws when asked why coverage for Remy was denied if doctors believed it was “medically necessary.”
DailyMail.com contact Select Health for comment.
Now the family is trying to find a way to pay for their daughter’s new arm themselves. GoFundMe page.
‘Hello! This GoFundMe is for my 9 year old daughter Remi. She was born without her left hand due to an amniotic band in the uterus,” Jami said.
“She recently requested a robotic arm and said it will make her feel more confident in her abilities every day,” her mother wrote, adding that Remy “unfortunately faces bullying” because of her disability.
Now the family is trying to find a way to pay for their daughter’s new arm themselves, while Jami has launched a GoFundMe page. (Photo: Remy with her brother and father)
Jami said that while the family is “willing to pay if necessary” for Remy’s Hero Arm, they hope their daughter’s experience will “raise awareness for others in similar situations.”
‘We have seen what she can do with the prosthesis. It is life-changing and she deserves the opportunity to use it,” she continued.
As of Friday morning, the donation page raised more than $15,400 for Remy.
As her family tries to find an arm for their daughter, they also continue to advocate for her.
“The family continues to pressure Select Health for change, advocating for both their daughter and others who may face similar insurance issues,” Jami said.