>> WE’LL TELL YOU WHEN THEY’RE EXPECT TO GO GET THEIR POWER
EXPECT TO GO GET THEIR POWER
BACK COMING UP.
>> Kimberly: ALL RIGHT.
TIM.
A COVID-19 TEST BILLING BATTLE.
TONIGHT, HEAR WHAT HAPPENED TO
ONE MAN HIT WITH A BILL AND SEE
HOW HELP ME HANK CAME TO THE RESCUE.
THE LOCAL MAN WENT IN FOR WHAT
HE THOUGHT WAS A FREE TEST, BUT
GOT BILLED MORE THAN $600.
>> Karen: OH, HE WAS UPSET AND
SO WAS HANK. SO NOW TIME TO SEE HOW HELP ME
SO NOW TIME TO SEE HOW HELP ME
HANK HELPED RESOLVE HIS ISSUE
AND SEE THE WIDE RAINING OF
PRICES FOR COVID-19 TESTS. BRING IN CONSUMER INVESTIGATOR
BRING IN CONSUMER INVESTIGATOR
HANK WINCHESTER, HE WAS STUNNED
BY THIS.
>> KAREN AND KIMBERLY, YOU CAN
UNDERSTAND WHY. A LOT OF PEOPLE GOING TO GET A
A LOT OF PEOPLE GOING TO GET A
COVID TEST, IF YOU DON’T CHECK
BEFOREHAND, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW
MUCH THE TEST COULD BE.
>> THAT’S WHY THE MAN WAS
SURPRISED HE GOT THIS HUGE BILL AND WE WERE ALSO SHOCKED WHEN WE
AND WE WERE ALSO SHOCKED WHEN WE
DID A PRICE COMPARISON.
>> PHILLIP GALLAGHER DOESN’T
BELIEVE HIS EYES WHEN HE SAW
THIS BILL. >> $140 WAS A SHOCK AND WHEN I
>> $140 WAS A SHOCK AND WHEN I
GOT THE OTHER BILL FOR $460 THAT
KIND OF SENT ME OVER THE EDGE.
>> LAST SUMMER WITH CONCERNS
ABOUT COVID-19 AT WORK, HE SAYS HE GOOGLED FREE COVID 19 TESTS
HE GOOGLED FREE COVID 19 TESTS
NEAR ME AND ST. MARY’S POPPED
UP.
>> AT THE TIME ST. MARY MURPHY
WAS DOING DRIVEUP TESTING NEAR
THE EMERGENCY ROOM. >> I WENT THROUGH THE DRIVE-THRU
>> I WENT THROUGH THE DRIVE-THRU
TESTING AND GOT WHAT FELT LIKE A
PERFECTLY NORMAL COVID TEST.
>> PHILLIP WAS ASKED A FEW
SIMPLE QUESTIONS AND SAYS HE
EXPLAINED HE DID NOT HAVE
INSURANCE AND TOLD HOW TO GET
THE RESULTS. HE SAYS HE NEVER GOT OUT OF HIS
HE SAYS HE NEVER GOT OUT OF HIS
CAR OR NEEDED ANY MEDICAL
TREATMENT.
HE WAS IN AND OUT IN A MATTER OF
MINUTES.
>> I HAD NO REACTIONS AND I
DIDN’T REALLY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, JUST KIND OF LIKE,
QUESTIONS, JUST KIND OF LIKE,
WHEN WILL I GET MY RESULTS.
>> WEEKS LATER, A BILL, THEN
ANOTHER BILL, THE TOTAL MORE THAN $600 FOR ONE STANDARD
THAN $600 FOR ONE STANDARD
COVID-19 PCR TEST.
LATER ROUGHLY $150 WAS TAKEN OFF THE TOTAL FOR WHAT PHILLIP TOLD
THE TOTAL FOR WHAT PHILLIP TOLD
WAS A SUPPLEMENT FOR THE
UNINSURED.
WHAT HAPPENED HERE?
>> I REACHED OUT TO ST. MARY,
COVID-19 TESTING IS NOT A FREE
SERVICE, ANY TESTING COMPLETED AT OUR COVID-19 TESTING LOOP
AT OUR COVID-19 TESTING LOOP
LOCATION WAS A EMERGENCY
ROOM-BASED MEDICAL SERVICE
COVERED BY MOST INSURANCE
CARRIERS. FOR NON-INSURED PATIENTS OUR
FOR NON-INSURED PATIENTS OUR
HOSPITALS OFFER A DIRECT PAYER
OPTION.
ST. MARY’S SUPPORTS PRICE
TRANSPARENCY AND IMPORTANT FOR
OUR PATIENTS TO KNOW WHAT OUT OF
POCKETS COSTS THEY WILL INCUR. I MADE CALLS TO THE HOSPITAL
I MADE CALLS TO THE HOSPITAL
TEAM REGARDING THE PROBLEM AND
WHILE THE HOSPITAL COULDN’T
DISCUSS SPECIFICS WITH ME
REGARDING PHILLIP.
THINGS HE SAYS CHANGED
DRAMATICALLY ONCE THE HELP ME HANK TEAM GOT INVOLVED.
HANK TEAM GOT INVOLVED.
>> ONCE YOU WERE ABLE TO GET IN
TOUCH WITH THEM.
THE TONE WAS COMPLETELY CHANGED.
>> PHILLIP SAYS THE BILL WAS SENT TO HIM BY ACCIDENT, THE
SENT TO HIM BY ACCIDENT, THE
BLAME, HE SAYS, IT WAS CODED
INCORRECTLY.
>> IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY CODED IT
WRONG NOT AS A COVID TEST, BUT
AS AN E.R. VISIT. >> THE HOSPITAL WAS FULLY TAKEN
>> THE HOSPITAL WAS FULLY TAKEN
CARE OF PHILLIP’S BILL AND
CONTACTING THE COLLECTION AGENCY
THAT’S TRYING TO GET PHILLIP TO PAY UP IMMEDIATELY.
PAY UP IMMEDIATELY.
OUR DR. FRANK McGEORGE SAYS IT’S
COMPLICATED.
>> IF YOU GET CHARGED BY A
HOSPITAL OR CLINIC THAT SEEMS UNREASONABLE, DON’T BE AFRAID TO
UNREASONABLE, DON’T BE AFRAID TO
ASK IF IT’S MISTAKE.
>> THIS GOT US THINKING HOW MUCH A STANDARD PCR TEST WOULD BE FOR
A STANDARD PCR TEST WOULD BE FOR
SOMEONE LIKE PHILLIP WHO IS
UNINSURED.
>> I’VE NOW BEEN TRANSFERRED
FIVE DIFFERENT TIMES.
I CALLED BEAUMONT, HENRY FORD,
LOCAL URGENT CARES AND BOUNCED
AROUND FROM ONE BILLING DEPARTMENT TO ANOTHER.
DEPARTMENT TO ANOTHER.
A LAB, A MAIN HOTLINE, I COULD
NOT GET ANSWERS.
IT WAS INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING.
>> I DO NOT KNOW THAT ANSWER, BUT I CAN TRY TO TRANSFER YOU.
BUT I CAN TRY TO TRANSFER YOU.
>> FINALLY, I DID GET SOME REAL
NUMBERS.
>> IT’S $155 AT BEAUMONT.
RIGHT NOW THROUGH HENRY FORD,
THERE’S NOT A CHARGE. >> $75 FOR THE COVID-19 TEST AT
>> $75 FOR THE COVID-19 TEST AT
THE OAK PARK URGENT CARE.
>> AND THE COST ON THIS DAY AT
ST. MARY LIVONIA FOR THE SAME
TEST GIVEN TO PHILLIP.
>> $400.
>> IT’S $400? >> YES.
>> YES.
>> FOR THE STANDARD COVID-19
TEST?
>> YES.
>> OKAY.
THANK YOU.
>> THE OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE FOR SOMEONE WITHOUT INSURANCE, WE’RE
SOMEONE WITHOUT INSURANCE, WE’RE
TOLD, IS STILL ROUGHLY $400.
>> AND BOTTOM LINE, YOU REALLY
NEED TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK.
INSURANCE OR NOT, YOU NEED TO CALL AHEAD OR TRY TO GET THE
CALL AHEAD OR TRY TO GET THE
INFORMATION ONLINE TO FIGURE OUT
EXACTLY WHAT YOUR OUT OF POCKET
EXPENSE COULD BE FOR ANY TEST. HELP ME HANK.
HELP ME HANK.
>> Karen: THIS IS SO
FRUSTRATING, HANK.
I UNDERSTAND YOU RECEIVED NEW
INFORMATION FROM ST. MARY
LIVONIA. >> WE DO, THE PRICE FOR THE
>> WE DO, THE PRICE FOR THE
COVID TEST, SHARE THE PRICE WITH
YOU, ST. MARYS SAID AT THE
BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC, 375
AND THEY’VE REVIEWED THAT IN THE
LAST YEAR AND A HALF. IN JULY THAT DROPPED TO 253.
IN JULY THAT DROPPED TO 253.
I SAID WHY IS YOUR STAFF STILL
TELLING PEOPLE $400, LIKE WHEN
WE CALLED. MAYBE THAT INFORMATION HAS NOT