Jim Holt, a Canadian military veteran, is dying. His required care resulted in a $61,000 medical bill that the 79-year-old believed he would have to pass on to his family.
Little did he know, the Ottawa Hospital wasn’t going to let that happen.
Holt’s daughter, Caroline, told the Ottawa Citizen on Friday that her family received an email from the hospital’s vice president of finance that said neither the veteran or his family will be “responsible for any debt to The Ottawa Hospital as a result of his recent care.”
“My father was in tears,” Caroline told the publication. “He said, ‘Somebody finally listened.’”
Good news: Ottawa hospital will waive fees for dying
veteran with $61,000 medical bill
http://t.co/eM7KmUXrT7
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— Ottawa Citizen (@OttawaCitizen)
February 7, 2015
The Ottawa Hospital will reportedly work with Holt’s insurance provider regarding invoice payments, taking the heavy burden off the dying veteran and allowing him to cherish his time left with family.
Holt served 28 years in the Royal Canadian Air Force as a lieutenant colonel and then spent an additional 20 years as a foreign affairs officer, the report notes.
The veteran found himself in the hospital after a broken vertebrae tragically turned out to be the result of Stage 4 cancer. He moved back to Canada with his wife after spending 12 years in Italy and Argentina to receive treatment at the Ottawa Hospital.
However, because he resided in the foreign countries, he “had to apply for Ontario Health Insurance (OHIP) when he came back to Canada for treatment,” which has a three-month eligibility wait period, according to the Ottawa Citizen. This resulted in the vet being uninsured for months, racking up the $61,000 hospital bill.
After learning of the situation, the hospital decided to step up.
Read the full report here.
© 2015 TheBlaze Inc