Kylan D.: Stuck With a Bill Instead of a Baby

Kylan D. was 23 when she and her husband found out they were expecting their first child. Newly married and excited to start a family, they were thrilled by the news.

Then Kylan miscarried. As she grieved, the medical bills began arriving, adding a financial burden to an already painful experience.

At their first ultrasound, around eight or nine weeks into the pregnancy, they learned that the baby did not have a heartbeat. Two days later, Kylan decided to manage the miscarriage at home after speaking with a nurse by phone. But when her legs went numb and her vision became blurry, she needed emergency care.

By the time she reached the ER, Kylan was actively hemorrhaging.

At the hospital, doctors told Kylan they did not understand why she was still bleeding because they expected everything to have already passed. She needed additional treatment before she could leave. “My life was quite literally on the line,” she said.

While Kylan was able to access the emergency care without delay, she added that some of the “nurses and doctors probably handled things rudely or not as professionally as they could have.”

Afterward, the couple received a call asking whether they wanted to send the tissue from the pregnancy for genetic testing. They agreed because they did not know why they had lost the pregnancy. Cost was not on their minds. “We’re young. I’m 24. I had no idea,” Kylan said.

Kylan was covered under her father’s health insurance, while her husband had coverage through his employer. About a week or two later, the medical bills began arriving. Kylan expected to receive bills for her care, but she was shocked by the amounts. What started with a bill for approximately $1,800, and another for about $700 eventually grew to nearly $13,000. “I think the thing that made it worse for us was the aftermath and receiving bill after bill…nonstop. For a child I didn’t even get to keep,” she said.

The couple also received a $2,000 charge to send the tissue from the pregnancy to Nashville for genetic testing. When the tissue arrived, the testing facility could not test it because transport fluid had not been used.

Kylan called her father to confirm that she was still covered by his insurance. He told her she was. She then contacted Blue Cross Blue Shield, the insurer at the time, and said she was told that pregnancy was not covered under her father’s policy because his dependents were not covered for pregnancy.

Kylan struggled to understand why she was facing such a large bill when she had insurance. “Who wants to give somebody $13,000 for a baby that you didn’t get to keep?” Kylan said. “I should have been covered because I had insurance.”

Kylan said the experience felt particularly personal. “It was mind blowing. It’s a very personal experience,” she said. “I just felt kind of attacked.”

She began researching her insurance coverage and calling the insurer every day. She also contacted the hospital, which told her that it was contracted with Blue Cross Blue Shield and that the insurer would have to pay something despite the initial denial.

When Kylan called the insurer again, she said representatives told her the hospital was wrong and that nothing would be covered.

Kylan stayed persistent and kept calling.

A week or two later, another letter arrived. Instead of nearly $13,000, the couple now owed approximately $2,300. More than $6,000 had been taken off the charges because the hospital was contracted with the insurer. With other medical expenses included, the couple ultimately paid nearly $3,000 out of pocket.

Kylan’s persistence had made a substantial difference in what her family ultimately owed — the bill cut from nearly $13,000 down to roughly $2,300 after weeks of daily calls and pushback. But that outcome took weeks of relentless follow-up, research, and a willingness to challenge an insurer that had already denied her twice. Not every family has that kind of time or energy to spare, especially while grieving. And for many, an unexpected bill in the thousands is not a manageable setback, but a genuine crisis, one that can mean medical debt, missed rent, or delayed care. “I’m sure it would be a strain for most American families,” Kylan said.

The couple paid off the remaining medical bills, but Kylan said the expense was a strain. They wanted to eliminate the debt because they hope to have children in the future, and she did not want the medical bills “looming over our heads.”

Even after the bills were resolved, Kylan said she couldn’t help thinking about how much harder the experience had been because she had to fight for herself while grieving.

Kylan was dealing with the loss of a pregnancy. Instead of being able to focus on grieving and recovering, she found herself spending days researching her insurance, making phone calls and challenging conflicting answers just to figure out what she actually owed. “They’re not in the business of being nice. They’re in the business of making money. I understand that as a consumer, but also on the same end when you’re grieving a child, and you’re on the phone with insurance, and they’re saying, ‘oh well, you still have to pay this,'” she said. “That’s hurtful.”

“I’m not sure what prepares you for a miscarriage. Whether you’re married and expecting, or single and excited about raising your baby. It is a pain I wouldn’t wish on anyone,” Kylan said. She found some comfort afterward in learning she was not alone. “The most helpful thing for us was researching after the fact and finding out we weren’t alone. This happens to people all over. Married, pregnant, miscarriage, stuck with a bill instead of a baby.”

Kylan doesn’t think people should have to work that hard to get the coverage they are entitled to, especially at a moment when they are already dealing with profound loss. Kylan continues to share her story because she hopes it can help other people facing similar experiences. “I’m happy to share whatever can get more information out there for other people going through this. I couldn’t imagine going through it by myself,” she said. “It’s absolutely terrible.”