A $41,212 Surgery Bill Compounded A Patient's Appendicitis Pain. [View all]

Joshua Bates knew something was seriously wrong. He had a high fever, could barely move and felt a sharp pain in his stomach every time he coughed.

The 28-year-old called his roommate, who rushed home that day in July 2018. The pair drove to the nearest emergency room, the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C.

After several tests, including a CT scan of his abdomen, the emergency team determined that Bates had acute appendicitis.

"They said my appendix was minutes away from rupturing," Bates said.

Not mentioned, he said, was that the hospital was out of network with the insurance plan provided through his job. Even so, he couldn't have jumped up and gone elsewhere. His appendix was about to burst.

Then the bill came.

Patient: Joshua Bates, a technical recruiter for a staffing firm, who lives in Charlotte, N.C. The Continental Benefits insurance plan comes with a deductible of $2,000 and an annual out-of-pocket maximum of $6,350.

Total bill: $41,212 covering the surgery, one night at the hospital and the emergency room charges. After payments by both Bates and his insurer, the hospital sent Bates a bill for the balance, just over $28,000.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/01/29/800870904/a-41-212-surgery-bill-compounded-a-patients-appendicitis-pain?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_term=nprnews&utm_campaign=npr&fbclid=IwAR3k-9uLLO0RsdLrHravd247Klf46qdLpKguFvvbF8jl8OfRB3gqH_zrXXk