Westchester boy can't leave hospital due to coverage confusion

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (FOX 5 NY) - Brothers Rafael, 2, and Luis, 4, played with balloons bought to welcome home their big brother Gian, 6, from the hospital.

"I couldn't contain myself. I was so happy," mom Denise Olivo said. "I was so happy."

But the celebration is on hold until Olivo can get Medicaid Insurance to pay for Gian's around-the-clock, at-home nursing care.

"I don't want to be excited until I see him," she said. "Being a special needs mom, you get used to disappointment. So when you know something good is going to happen, you want to make sure it's real."

We first introduced you to Gian and his family a few months ago from their White Plains home. 

His mother told us that during Gian's birth he did not get enough oxygen to his brain. It left him wheelchair-bound. He also needs a breathing tube. Four months ago, he had to be hospitalized for anemia. Gian is now well enough to come home but he can't be discharged until the proper nursing care is set up.

Gian's mother said getting the hospital, the insurance company, and Westchester County social services to agree on how Gian's care should be paid for has been challenging. She turned to Facebook to help, posting her frustrations with what she called "a broken system."

She got some promising news. The family's private insurance company cleared the way for Medicaid to cover Gian's nursing care. Also, a local lawmaker promised to help.

Until something changes, Gian is still in the hospital while his mother navigates a complicated system trying to get her son the help he needs to live at home.