A family is speaking out over a denied medical transportation assistance claim for a key procedure for their son’s rare congenital birth defect.

Jeff Power shared that, following consultations from the Janeway and IWK Health Centre in Nova Scotia, their then three-year-old son Clarke travelled to Halifax for a preventative surgery for his rare congenital birth defect Sagittal Craniosynostosis.

The family filed for assistance under the Medical Transportation Assistance Program (MTAP) in January and, after several correspondences, were told that their claim was rejected under the grounds that the procedure was unnecessary.

The rejected claim notification came 165 days after the initial submission.

He marvels at the idea that government rejected the claim, despite the backing and opinions of those in the medical field.

Power shared that the financial restitution is not as important as the principle of the matter, and what falls under the parameters of medically necessary.