Unexpected Medical Bills May Have Disastrous Consequences for Patients

This article is not legal advice. It is presented 
for informational purposes only.

Many patients may be suffering devastating financial consequences after receiving unexpected medical bills following emergency surgical procedures. Even patients who have previously confirmed that their hospitals accept their insurance may be hit with surprise invoices and out-of-pocket charges.

Victims of Unexpected Medical Bills

One Denver victim of unexpected medical billing claims that after her appendectomy, or appendix removal surgery, several years ago, she was billed by her insurance for almost $5,000. According to an article from NBC News, after being told by her local ER that she needed to have surgery immediately, Nicole B. called the nearest hospital to confirm they took her health insurance before rushing over. According to Nicole, the hospital representative she spoke to told her that they did.

Nicole believed that when the hospital told her it was covered by her insurance, that meant that the surgeon, doctors, nurses, anesthesiologist, and other medical personnel involved in her surgery were also covered. However, what Nicole and many other patients may not have known is that many doctors practice independently. This means that although they may perform operations in a hospital, they bill their patients separately and may not be covered by the same insurance providers. These out-of-network doctors may lead to thousands of dollars in unexpected medical bills for patients.

When Nicole declined to pay her unexpected bill, the insurance company sent her debt to a collections agency. This agency later placed a lien on her house, blocking her ability to sell her home until she had settled the debt.

According to NBC News, this is not an uncommon occurrence. There are cases of liens being applied to homes due to unpaid medical bills in New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Vermont.

Who is Affected?

According to an article published in September 2018 by the Kaiser Family Foundation, almost 40 percent of Americans have received an unexpected medical bill. Half of these bills are for amounts less than $500, but around 12 percent are for amounts of $2,000 or higher. These bills may collect interest, and can result in adverse consequences for patients who are unable or unwilling to pay them.

Hope for Patients

While many patients may be struggling to pay confusing medical bills due to out-of-network doctors, a bill introduced to the House of Representatives in 2017 would require hospitals to give patients a 24 hour advance notification if any doctors providing care are not covered by a patient’s insurance. If passed, this bill would also require hospitals to disclose to patients an estimate of their out-of-pocket costs.

Another proposed bill would prevent an out-of-network hospital or other medical provider from charging patients more for emergency procedures than they would have had to pay for the same procedure from an in-network provider.

If you have been caught off guard by unexpected medical bills, you may qualify to join an investigation or lawsuit regarding these debts at no cost to you.

Join a Free Surprise Medical Bill Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you were hit with a surprise medical bill from an out-of-network doctor at an in-network hospital, you may be entitled to compensation.

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