Insurance Company Covers Cost of Expensive Formula for Local Child

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) There's a happy ending for a local baby who was born premature with digestive issues that required a hard-to-get and very expensive formula. When the insurance company said 'no' to covering the cost, the mom turned to FOX 29 and our Bruce Gordon for help.

FOX 29's Bruce Gordon has an update to the story you saw first on FOX 29.

Christmas is just around the corner, so is Katelyn Kober's second birthday and life for this cute little girl.

"The insurance company is now hassle-free, sending me the formula, which I wanted all along. It's not like I don't think I was asking for too much-- just I needed formula so Katelyn can eat," her mother, Sheree, told FOX 29.

We last saw Katelyn when she was 8 months old. Born premature, with severe digestive problems, a special formula, Pregestimil, was all she could keep down. But it was hard to find and expensive, at $2,500 dollars a month.

And the Kobers' insurance company would not cover the cost-- ruling that formula is food, not medicine. Katelyn's condition was driving her mom and dad to the poorhouse. Our initial reports led Good Samaritans to help out with donations, but Sheree needed a long-term solution. She called the insurance company again and agai, with a simple argument: her daughter's formula is in essence medicine.

Then, Sheree turned to the internet, creating an online petition through change.org that drew nearly 107,000 signatures, many with comments, urging her on.

She faxed the petition to her insurer- all 6,000 pages worth.

"I did receive a call, asking that I never do that again," she explained.

Sheree says she feels like she has won her battle. Finally, Katelyn is getting the formula she needs.