PLYMOUTH, MASS. (WHDH) - A Plymouth father was shocked after his health insurance refused to cover new hearing aids for his son. So, he reached out to Solve It 7.
11-year-old Ian Rutherford loves playing the trombone and learning about dinosaurs.
“Dinosaurs are one of my favorite things. I really want to be an archaeologist and dig up their bones,” said Ian.
His hearing aids help him enjoy his favorite activities.
“When I don’t have my hearing aids, I sometimes mishear what he’s saying. Like if someone says hat, I might hear cat or something,” said Ian.
“It helps tremendously in school, that’s when his teachers realize the difference when he has them, or he doesn’t have them,” said Jerry Rutherford, Ian’s father.
Last year, Ian’s doctors said it was time for an upgrade.
“Every few years, you need new hearing aids,” said Jerry.
The new devices cost $6,200, but a state law requires insurance companies to pay $2,000 per hearing aid for children.
“My first inkling was ‘Oh, this is going to be simple,'” said Jerry.
Jerry soon found out it would be anything but simple. He says the insurance company refused to pay until the family reached their deductible. The law says the deductible doesn’t apply to children’s hearing aids.
They appealed twice and filed a complaint with the state, but kept getting denied. So, the family turned to Solve It 7.
“We thought we might be able to get some action,” said Jerry.
We reached out to the insurance company and pointed out the law. A spokesperson apologized for the delay and said the money would be on the way.
“It was it was surprising. It was unbelievable, that was actually done. Thanks for everything, and thanks for making it making it happen,” said Jerry.
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