Making Ends Meet - Some Americans Dealing With Unexpected Medical Debt

Across the country people tested for COVID-19, suddenly ending up with bills, bills the U.S. Government promised Americans they wouldn’t get.

COVID-19 PATIENTS ACROSS THECOUNTRY... ARE GETTING BILLS THEU-S GOVERNMENTPROMISED THEY WOULDN'T... IFTHEY GOT SICK.CHRIS CONTE TAKES A CLOSER LOOKAT WHY SOME INSURANCE COMPANIESAREN'TDOING THE THINGS FEDERALGUIDELINES SAY THEY SHOULD.LONG BEFORE AN EPIDEMIC SWEPTACROSS THE GLOBE, ANNA DAVISABEL WAS ALREADY SPENDING HERDAYS TRYING NOT TO GET SICK.SHE IS 25 YEARS OLD AND HAS BEENLIVING WITH A CHRONIC ILLNESSFOR MOST OF HER LIFE.

000304 THEWAY EVERYONE FEELS RIGHT NOW ISTHE WAY IT ALWAYS FEELS TO LIVEWITH A CHRONICILLNESSNATS VIDEO OF GETTING TESTEDIT WAS EARARCH AFTERRETURNING HOME FROM A TRIP WHENANNA STARTED FEELING SICK.EVEN AFTER TAKING A TERRIFYINGTRIP TO THE DOCTOR .

ANNA WASTOLD THERE WERE NO TESTS IN THESTATE OF WEST VIRGINIA WHERE SHELIVES.AND THE SYMPTOMS ONLY GOT WORSE.000952 I WAS GOING FROM BEINGSUPER SWEATY, TO COLD.

IDEVELOPED A COUGH ON THE THIRDORFOURTH DAYINITIALLY SHE WAS DIAGNOSED WITHTHE FLU.WHEN THAT DIDN'T GET BETTER ..ANNA WAS GIVEN A COVID TEST.A TEST THAT UNDER FEDERALGUIDELINES WAS SUPPOSED TO BECOVERED BY HER INSURANCECOMPANY.IMAGINE HER SURPRISE WHEN A BILLFOR $536.46 SHOWED UP A FEWWEEKS AGO.

001834 I THINK ITSHOWS AT THE END OF THE DAY IT'SA HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY THAT ISNOT FIRST ABOUT HEALTHCONTE STANUPSO WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE?THE CARES ACT MANDATES COVIDTESTS BE COVERED BY INSURANCECOMPANIES.BUT AS AMERICANS ARE FINDINGOUT, THERE ARE LOOPHOLES.MANY TIMES THE TESTS AREN'TBILLED CORRECTLY.OR IN ANNA'S CASE, SHE WASTESTED BEFORE THE LAW WENT INTOEFFECT.001946 MOST PEOPLE WHEN THEY GETA MEDICAL BILL, THEY'REFRUSTRATED, THEY'RE ANGRY ANDDON'TKNOW WHAT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUTIT, AND THAT'S WHAT INSURANCECOMPANIES ARE RELYING ON000009 COVID 19 BILLING ANDMEDICAL DEBT IS GOING TO BE ANIGHTMARECRAIG ANTICO IS THE COFOUNDER OFRIP MEDICAL DEBT.HIS CONCERN IS THAT MANY OF USWILL JUST ASSUME COVID TESTSWERE COVERED.AND THEN MONTHS LATER END UPWITH A BILL.000500 PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TOFEEL THE PRESSURE OF PAYINGTHESE BILLS UNTIL ALMOST A YEARFROM NOWNATSAS FOR ANNA, HER INSURANCECOMPANY EVENTUALLY ADMITTED ABILLING ERROR ANDREVERSED THE CHARGE.002159 AS THE DISCOURSE MOVESPAST THE FEARS WE HAD, THEY'LLBE LESS PRESSURE FOR THEINSURANCE COMPANIES TO BE HELDACCOUNTABLE /ACCOUNTABILITY, SO THAT PATIENTSAREN'T SUFFERING MORE THAN THEYALREADY ARE.I'M CHRIS CONTE REPORTING.IF YOU THINK YOU'VE BEENOVERCHARGED... ASK FOR ANITEMIZED COPY OF YOUR BILL...SO YOU CAN SEE AND EVALUATE EACHCHARGE INDIVIDUALLY.YOU MIGHT SPOT MORE ERRORS.IF YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY WON'TFIX IT... YO