Guaranteed Healthcare

Young, Insured Father Stuck with $25,000 in Out-of-Network Costs

"When our son, Aidan, was born on March 9, 2005, at Boca Raton Community Hospital in Boca Raton,  Fla., I was an employee of Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Fla., and carried health insurance through them," said Jack Mahoney of Boca Raton.

"Because Boca Community is closer to our home in Boca Raton, my wife went there to give birth to our son. I had called the Memorial Regional insurance company a few months prior and told them that my wife would be using Boca Community, because it was closer to our home, and they did not say we would not be covered.  By the way, Memorial is self-insured, so the state of Florida has no jurisdiction over them."

"The insurance company later rejected all bills from Boca Community, claiming it is an 'out-of-network' hospital. I quit Memorial the day I learned they rejected the claims and stuck us with the $25,000 bill," Mahoney said.

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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.