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News Articles: bill of the month

Travis Warner of Dallas got tested for the coronavirus at a free-standing emergency room in June 2020 after one of his colleagues tested positive for the virus. The emergency room bill included a $54,000 charge for one test.

Tagged as: 

  • Health

The Bill For His COVID Test In Texas Was A Whopping $54,000

A businessman from Dallas got a PCR test for the coronavirus at a suburban emergency room. The charge for his test was "egregious" but not illegal, say health care analysts. Here's what happened.

September 30, 2021
|
By:
  • Aneri Pattani
Ely Bair had two medically necessary jaw surgeries. For the first, in 2018, his share of the bill was $3,000. For the second, in 2019 after a job change, he was billed $27,000, even though he had the same insurance carrier.

Tagged as: 

  • Health

Same Hospital And Insurer, But The Bill For His 2nd Jaw Procedure Was $24,000 More

To realign the man's jaw and ease his chronic pain and high blood pressure, he would need two operations, the surgeon said. Both procedures went well, but the patient was shocked by the second bill.

August 30, 2021
|
By:
  • Phil Galewitz
For Charlie Kjelshus, "the birthday rule" meant that dad Mikkel's plan ― with a high deductible and coinsurance obligation ― was deemed her primary coverage after her stay as a newborn in the neonatal intensive care unit. Mom Kayla's more generous plan was considered secondary coverage. It left her parents with a huge bill.

Tagged as: 

  • Health

Proposed Law Would End Health Insurance 'Birthday Rule' That Snags New Parents

The bill, introduced by U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids of Kansas, could save some parents from unexpected (and sometimes massive) medical bills.

July 29, 2021
|
By:
  • Cara Anthony

Tagged as: 

  • Health

A Hospital Charged More Than $700 For Each Push Of Medicine Through Her IV

A college student never learned the cause of intense pain that drove her to an ER, but her bill totaled $18,735.93. She and her mom, a nurse practitioner, were outraged after dissecting the charges.

June 28, 2021
|
By:
  • Rae Ellen Bichell

Tagged as: 

  • Health

Her Doctor's Office Moved 1 Floor Up. Why Did Her Treatment Cost 10 Times More?

Same building. Same procedure. Same doctor. But there was an extra "facility fee" because the location changed slightly. A shot that used to cost her about $30 went up to more than $300.

March 26, 2021
|
By:
  • Lauren Weber
Mikkel and Kayla Kjelshus' daughter, Charlie, had a complication during delivery that caused her oxygen levels to drop and put her at risk for brain damage. Charlie needed seven days of neonatal intensive care, which resulted in a huge bill — $207,455 for the NICU alone — and confusion over which parent's insurer would cover the little girl's health costs.

Tagged as: 

  • Health

'Birthday Rule' Blindsides First-Time Parents With A Mammoth Medical Bill

An insurance regulation known as "the birthday rule" is tripping up couples who are putting their newborn children on the wrong policy and risk losing thousands of dollars.

January 27, 2021
|
By:
  • Cara Anthony
Adam Woodrum and his son, Robert, get ready for a bike ride near their home in Carson City, Nev., this month. During the summer, Robert had a bike accident that resulted in a hefty bill from the family's insurer.

Tagged as: 

  • Health

A Kid, A Minor Bike Accident And A $19,000 Medical Bill

It was a surprise even for a family of lawyers. A process called "subrogation" began with a Nevada family's health insurer denying their claim for an ER visit after their 9-year-old fell off his bike.

November 25, 2020
|
By:
  • Julie Appleby
Matthew Fentress was diagnosed with heart disease that developed after a bout of the flu in 2014. His condition worsened three years later, and he had to declare bankruptcy when he couldn't afford his medical bills, despite having insurance.

Tagged as: 

  • Health

Heart Disease Bankrupted Him Once. Now He Faces Another $10,000 Medical Bill

A cook at a senior center, Matthew Fentress is one of millions of Americans whose skimpy health insurance plans leave them vulnerable to huge out-of-pocket costs when they get sick.

September 26, 2020
|
By:
  • Laura Ungar
"Before the appendectomy, I was looking for property and homes to purchase, and that is pretty much completely off the table right now," says Shannon Harness, a veteran who was uninsured when he had two appendicitis-related surgeries in 2019. The bills amounted to $80,232.

Tagged as: 

  • Health Care

Veteran's Appendectomy Launches Excruciating, Months-Long Battle Over Bill

An uninsured Colorado man who had appendicitis owed $80,232 after two surgeries. After months of negotiating with the hospital, he still owes far more than most insurers would pay for the procedures.

August 26, 2020
|
By:
  • Elizabeth Lawrence
Izzy Benasso injured her knee while playing tennis with her father Steve Benasso in Denver. After the college student had knee surgery to repair the injury, her dad noticed  her medical bills included a separate one from a surgical assistant for $1,167.

Tagged as: 

  • Health

The Knee Surgeon Was In-Network. The Surgical Assistant Wasn't, And Billed $1,167

A college student's bill for outpatient knee surgery is a whopper — $96K — but the most mysterious part is a $1,167 charge from a health care provider she didn't even know was in the operating room.

July 23, 2020
|
By:
  • Markian Hawryluk

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