Florida resident passes coronavirus test: hospital bills him in the thousands of dollars - ForumDaily
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A resident of Florida passed a coronavirus test: the hospital billed him thousands of dollars

Returning to Miami (Florida) in January from a working trip to China, Osmel Martinez Azkui found himself in a frightening situation: he developed symptoms similar to the flu, but at the same time similar to coronavirus. Writes about this Miami Herald.

Photo: Shutterstock

Under normal circumstances, Azkui said, he would buy the usual medicine and fight the flu on his own, but this time it was different. As the health services emphasized their readiness and asked to be alert to respiratory infections, Azkui felt responsible for the family and the people around him as a whole, so he decided to test for a new coronavirus known as COVID-19.

He went to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where, he said, he was placed in a closed room. Nurses in protective white suits sprayed some kind of disinfectant under the door in front of the entrance. Hospital staff then told Azkui that he would need computed tomography to detect the coronavirus, to which he replied that he would like to do a flu test first.

«Давайте начнем с анализа крови, и если я получу положительный результат, тогда просто отпустите меня», — пересказывает свои слова врачам Азкуи.

Fortunately, this is exactly what happened. He had the flu, not a deadly virus that infected tens of thousands of people, mostly in China, and killed more than 2 thousand people.

But two weeks later, Azkui received a $ 3 medical bill.

On the subject: In the United States, they began testing on humans the medicine and vaccine for Chinese coronavirus

В 2018 году администрация президента Дональда Трампа отменила положения Закона о доступном медицинском обслуживании и выпустила на рынок так называемые «нежелательные» ограниченные планы. Потребители ошибочно полагают, что планы с более низкими ежемесячными затратами будут лучше, чем отсутствие страховки, но зачастую планы не сильно отличаются от того, чтобы вообще можно получить без страховки.

Jackson Hospital management said that based on his insurance, Azkui would only be liable for $ 1 of this bill, but Azkui said he would have to provide additional documentation: three years of medical documentation to prove that he got the flu. , does not apply to a pre-existing condition.

Although Azkui’s situation reveals the potential cost of testing for a disease that epidemiologists fear could lead to a public health crisis in the U.S., one insurance specialist sees this episode as a warning about potential risks associated with deregulation in the insurance market.

«Когда у кого-то появляются симптомы гриппа, вы хотите, чтобы он обратился за медицинской помощью, — сказала Сабрина Корлетт, профессор Джорджтаунского университета и один из директоров Центра реформ медицинского страхования. — Если у них есть один из этих ограниченных страховых планов, они знают, что могут оказаться на крючке. И что они потратят больше, чем могут себе позволить, обратившись за помощью. Многие из них просто не захотят идти в больницу, и это проблема общественного здравоохранения».

According to Azkui, he earns about $ 55 a year from a medical device company that does not offer health insurance, but his insurance plan has not always been so limited. Azkui said that more recently, he had insurance in accordance with the Affordable Care Act, which cost him about $ 000 a month.

These contributions rose to $ 400 per month when his annual salary increased, so he had to give up insurance. Now Azkui pays $ 180 per month for a limited plan.

Corlett said that requiring a limited insurance plan to provide three years of medical records before insurance coverage is in place is not uncommon. The professor saw more than once that such documents were required in conditions such as cancer and other diseases.

«В этом и заключается критическое различие между планами Закона о доступном медицинском обслуживании и ограниченными планами, — сказала она. — Ограниченные планы не будут охватывать ранее существовавшие условия».

Jackson hospital officials say there are a few more bills for Azkui coming up, but it’s not clear what amounts are there.

On the subject: Border closure, flight cancellation, quarantine and checks: how the US and countries of the world are protected from coronavirus

According to Azkui, his experience underscores how US health care spending can help prevent public health crises.

«Как они могут ожидать, что нормальные граждане внесут свой вклад в устранение потенциального риска распространения вируса от человека к человеку, если больницы ждут, чтобы взять с нас $3 270 за простой анализ крови и мазок из носа?» — удивляется он.

Plans that comply with the Affordable Care Act often have high fees, Corlett said, but are likely to provide better compensation than limited plans. She also added that these plans are needed to cover flu shots and other preventative care.

«Идея о том, что страховщик должен будет пролистать три года своих записей, просто чтобы определить, был ли грипп существовавшим ранее заболеванием, просто сумасшедшая, — возмущена Корлетт. — Но именно так действует большинство этих планов».

Read the latest news and everything you need to know about the outbreak of a new coronavirus from China. ForumDaily special project “Chinese Coronavirus”.

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