Aria Schilling's family started fighting last month after their HMO refused to let the surgery go forward at Oakland Children's Hospital, which is not in its network. But an independent review concluded the health plan's denial should be overturned.
The Schillings hope other parents will realize they have options if they're denied certain treatments. But they had to do their homework, and while they're grateful for the outcome, it scares them to think what could have happened to their daughter if they hadn't learned a lot in a short amount of time
A surgery date has yet to be set. But, Aria is expected to have several weeks of recovery after the operation. She might even need additional procedures.
