11/08/2025
Thank you to our patient, Olivia, for bringing awareness to Microtia and proper insurance coverage for reconstructive surgery:
8-year-old Olivia Olson was born with a rare congenital condition, microtia, that prevents the development of the outer ear. Only a handful of doctors in the U.S. regularly perform the operation Olivia needed to reconstruct her ear.
But up until the day of the operation, the Olson’s insurance provider, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, had repeatedly refused to approve coverage for the procedure with the surgeon the Olsons wanted to use.
“We got a denial letter, and it was literally like a stab in the heart,” said her mother Annie Olson.
The Olsons debated canceling the surgery but ultimately decided to go through with it and shield Olivia from the challenges they faced paying for it. NBC News reached out to Anthem a couple of days before Olivia’s surgery and was waiting for a complete response.
On the day of the surgery, with Olivia on the operating table, the Olsons finally received word that Anthem would grant coverage — a change the Olsons attributed to NBC News’ involvement.
Read more: nbcnews.app.link/rnnYNpfE3Xb
