A word from our client...

When doctors told us our three-month old son was profoundly deaf, they also offered some hopeful news. Through the use of cochlear implants to bypass the damaged parts of his ears, our son could learn to hear and speak. He would need surgery to insert the electronic devices, which could be done safely once he was six months old. Our family was thrilled to learn that children who receive cochlear implants at a young age are generally able to lead lives that are similar to children born with typical hearing. But a baby’s brain develops so quickly in the first months of life, and the path forward for our son depended on giving him access to sound as soon as possible. The cochlear implant surgery was scheduled as soon as our son’s doctor determined it was safe to operate.

So we were devastated when our insurance company told us our son would have to wait. Coverage would be available, they said, but not until his first birthday. In the meantime, our son would remain in silence, even though the technology to help him was right there. The cost of the surgery was well into the six figures, and our family could not afford it without insurance coverage. But we couldn’t afford to wait either, because six more months of silence might have permanently limited our son’s development. We went through every confusing step in the insurance process on our own, and they denied us at every turn. When we didn’t know what else to do to help our son, we called Norris.

Looking back, I wish we had called Norris sooner. We just didn’t understand how difficult it can be to get an insurance company to change its mind. Norris had the experience to deal with the insurance company on the timeline we needed. Norris was an amazing advocate for our son and was completely dedicated to our family. It took a lawsuit to finally make the insurance company listen to us, and, in the end, our son had the surgery he needed at the time his doctor determined was best.

Today, our son is almost two years old and his little voice is so sweet to our ears. He loves music and the sound of a garbage truck. Some of this may have been possible if we had let the insurance company delay his surgery, but we are grateful we didn’t have to take that gamble. I know that calling Norris changed my son’s life – we had reached the end of what we knew how to do, and Norris took care of the rest.