Healthcare System Is a Problem for Many People in Society
Every single individual is deserving of the rights for healthcare. Unfortunately there are millions that do not qualify for health insurance. On the other side, those that due most are exposed to end up with an incredible amount of debt. Which in fact, the majority might be due to ambulance rides for medical emergencies. Especially when those emergency trips are assisted by Superior ambulance. Millions of individuals have gotten a surprise bill from the Superior ambulance months after the incident, which can sometimes result more expensive than the own medical bill. Which this is a huge impact on the person and their family.
Those who don’t have access to medical insurance can be many different reasons that they might not qualify for it. Which some reasons can include residency status, job not offering healthcare benefits, public programs cutbacks, etc. The healthcare system is truly an expensive resource for individuals to have access to things like medication, appointments, ambulance rides, etc. Sadly, that is the reality of the healthcare system that has been implemented for many years in society.
Surprise Ambulance Bills
Till this day there are millions of people that keep getting “surprise ambulance bills” for less than a five mile drive to the hospital. When people get those bills they are outrageous amounts. In fact, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, around 41% of Americans are carrying medical debt, often incurred in instances of needing an ambulance.
This is one huge reason why people don’t even want to take a trip to the hospitals on ambulance, because these bills are oftentimes a primary contributor to debt, especially if they are out-of-network. And these debts lead to people taking an incredible amount of years to pay them off.
Illinois Has Protection for Surprise Ambulance Bills
Furthermore, Illinois is one of a handful of states that does have protection for surprise ambulance billing. However, the protection can only cover for so many because the scope is limited. It only covers state-regulated plans, not employer or self-funded plans. Which might still make it difficult for individuals to cover the surprise bill because the majority are self-funded.
According to a recent report by the Public Interest Research Group shows “ground ambulances transport over three million privately insured Americans every year, and over half of the patients are exposed to a surprise bill.” This shows that when insurance companies deny coverage for reasons like the ambulance service being out-of-network, they then leave patients and their families stuck in an unsustainable situation.
The Case of the Glenview Family
Wayne Caplan, the father of 17-year-old son Charles began having chest pains this summer, his father took it seriously. Caplan stated that the pain of his son was not going away. So him and his wife decided to take Charles to the emergency room at Glenbrook Hospital.
After five hours of tests and x-rays, Caplan said hospital staff told the family that Charles had to go a nearby pediatric ICU for more testing.
“They told my wife and I that they needed to order an ambulance and have him transported to Lutheran General Hospital, which is about five miles away,” according to Caplan.
The family waited hours for a 10-minute ambulance ride to Lutheran General. After a few hours of testing, Charles was released with a clean bill of health.
Caplan said he was charged a $1,000 co-pay for the visit, a month before being hit with a surprise bill from a single Superior Ambulance ride. He claimed, “We got a bill in August that totaled over $8,600. We were in shock.” Their story is one of millions, and this comes to show that the healthcare system should be more equal and reasonable for the sole reason that healthcare is an essential human right.
Written by Jeanette Sanchez
Sources:
NBC Chicago: Surprise billing after 5-mile ambulance ride costs suburban family nearly $9,000
Click On Detroit: Michigan Attorney General speaks out on massive surprise ambulance bills
13 WTHR: Millions of families have no protection from surprise ambulance bills
Click On Detroit: Michigan Attorney General’s office offers advice to families experiencing surprise ambulance bills
Featured Image Courtesy of Inventorchris Flickr Page-Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Jonathan Cutrer Flickr Page-Public Domain
