Savannah Snodgrass Saved: Insurer’s Change Of Heart Allows Baby To Undergo Emergency Brain Surgery

Savannah Snodgross, a 7-month old Texas baby who suffers from a life-threatening brain tumor, has been saved after her health insurance company reversed its decision not to pay for her surgery.

Snodgrass underwent the complicated surgery on Friday morning at Texas Children’s Hospital, which is regarded as one of the most prestigious institutions in the country, after Superior HealthPlan decided that they would fund her treatment.

Superior HealthPlan had previously stated that Savannah couldn’t have the surgery because they claimed that her doctors were out-of-network. Savannah’s parents were quick to attest that this wasn’t true, and that this group of doctors had been treating her for several months. According to Tessa Snodgrass, Savannah’s mother, the doctors had been monitoring her daughter’s tumor during this time and they had overseen all of the preparation to remove it.

After much deliberation, Superior HealthPlan reversed their decision and revealed that they would indeed pay for the operation, which could cost around $1 million.

Tessa, a 38-year-old Army veteran and a mother to three other children, told Fox News on Friday, “We got a call from the neurosurgeon saying they got approval. They had a cancellation today so it worked out. I am ecstatic. We’re so thankful.”

Superior HealthPlan also confirmed to Fox News that they will cover Savanna’s surgery. The company provided a statement that read:

“Our number one priority has been to deliver the best health outcome for this child, as it is for all of our members. Superior is happy to have identified a solution that ensures that this child receives continued care from the provider established prior to their enrollment with Superior. We will continue to assist this family in making sure they receive the care they need.

“While we have complete confidence that our in-network providers have the expertise and resources to give all of our members the individual care they need, we approach every member’s care individually. The importance of maintaining continuity of care combined with the complex and timely concerns of the family were critical to this decision.”

Savannah was admitted to the hospital after suffering seizures back in March when she was just 4 months old. In a 24-hour period, Savannah had 15 seizures, but after examining he,r doctors stated that there wasn’t anything they could do for her because she was too young and fragile for surgery.

However, her tumor continued to grow and on Tuesday it was decided that an emergency operation would be performed. However, Superior HealthPlan then decreed that they would deny payment at the hospital, stating that Texas Children’s Hospital is an out-of-network provider and they instead referred Snodgrass to an Austin-based surgical facility. After much deliberation though, Superior HealthPlan decided that Savannah could undergo her treatment at the hospital, and her long road to recovery can now begin.