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An Arm and a Lung

Adam
Rochester, NY
Heathcare Status: Uninsured

In 2000, my mother developed a serious lung infection and difficulty breathing. She was taken to the local hospital, where she was cared for in the ICU for a day or two, then moved to an ordinary room for a day. Upon release, she was given a bill for approximately $40,000 and asked to pay upon receipt. The hospital staff were kind enough to mark the request, "Please pay upon receipt" with a yellow highlighter, in case there was any confusion. She told the hospital billing office that she had no money, and they assigned a social worker, whose job it was to help her file for bankruptcy. In some sense, it is fortunate that she owned nothing of value, because it would have been taken from her to pay for a few days in hospital.

Submitted on May 29, 2009 - 6:56am.
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