Guaranteed Healthcare

Insured Amputee Still Faces Liens against Home

"Last year, I was involved in a high-impact motorcycle accident," recounts Tom Wenning of Portland, Oregon. "I was life-flighted to the local trauma hospital and spent two weeks in ICU, three weeks in the trauma recovery and acute-care unit, and five weeks in a rehabilitation hospital."

"I now have an amputated left leg and a 'frozen' left shoulder. I was released from the rehabilitation hospital in July of last year. But during the preceding May and June of that year, those two hospitals, various surgeons, radiologists, and anesthesiologists placed 21 liens against my and my wife's home, totaling $531,000. All these liens were placed on my home before I was released from the hospital and before I'd even seen a bill." 

"The strange part of all this is that I have complete medical insurance coverage, and all my medical providers knew it.  Three of those liens still exist, even though the bills have been paid by my HMO. My accident not only has cost me thousands of dollars out of my own pocket in co-pays and deductibles, but it has cost me grief over our home and possible credit repercussions."

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Sponsored by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee

Eighty-two percent of Americans think the U.S. healthcare system should be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt (Commonwealth Fund, Aug. 7, 2008). America's nurses know that only single-payer, improved and expanded Medicare for all will fix our broken system and the tragedy of our devastated families. HR 676, by U.S. Rep John Conyers, is the most comprehensive, cost effective way to achieve guaranteed healthcare for all.

For more information, or to contact this patient: Liz Jacobs, RN 510/273-2232.