It was a three-year court battle of David versus Goliath proportions and the victory will have rippling effects for other kids covered by Health Canada’s Non-Insured Health Benefits program.
Josey Willier, from Sucker Creek First Nation in Alberta, was just 13 when she suffered crippling chronic pain from the position of her teeth and jaw.
Her physician said braces were medically necessary but government doctors – who never examined the girl – denied they were needed.
So NIHB refused to cover the $8,000 treatment.
The family took the government to court and rather than paying for the braces, the federal government spent $100,000 arguing why Canada should not pay.
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