A North Carolina man has been charged with nearly half a million dollars after making an emergency medical visit home after learning he had leukemia while on vacation in late 2020.
Sean Deines, 32, received a $489,000 bill in the mail after flying 1,468 miles from his hometown of Denver, Colorado for treatment.
Angel MedFlight, which he bought from Aviation West Charters, was not part of his insurance network, and this combined with ground ambulance transportation when it arrived put the bill at a high of around $70,000 in total.
In the end, the exorbitant bill was paid, but it turned out to be an example of how the transparency of the US healthcare system can hurt patients and cost them their savings.
Sean Deines and his wife, Rebeah (pictured), received a bill of nearly $500,000 when they needed an urgent trip from Denver to North Carolina after being diagnosed with leukemia.
Deines and his wife, Rebekah, suddenly fell ill while visiting a relative in Wyoming, the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) reported †
He went to the ED and was referred to the ED. As local hospitals failed to treat him, he was flown to Denver, where he was hospitalized on November 28.
The helicopter ride from Wyoming to Colorado wasn’t included in the big bill he’d get later.
Denver doctors diagnosed him with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and he was told he had a “suddenly elevated” white blood cell count.
Deines received initial treatment from doctors to stabilize his condition before deciding it was best to seek treatment near his home in North Carolina with his wife.
This is where the troubles started. On November 30, the hospital applied to Deines insurance company Blue Cross Blue Shield to approve the transfer.
Deinas said they couldn’t believe what had happened as the ambulance and insurance company went back and forth as to who was responsible for the bill.
The company had not yet responded and received the application on December 1, when the transfer took place.
He would stay in the hospital for 28 days before being discharged. The hospital was online, but after he left, travel bills started coming in.
The flight eventually continued without prior approval, a break from traditional standards.
The company told KFF it was “satisfied with every step of the health insurance process and has handed Sean over to long-term care providers in good faith.”
Two days later, on December 3, the company refused the trip, saying its Denver facility was adequate for treatment despite coming from his home from across the country.
He later received a bill of $489,000. Blue Cross sent $72,000, enough to cover ambulance trips when it landed in North Carolina. But Deines remained dependent for the rest.
It’s been an incredible turnaround for Deines, who was unemployed and lost his bartending job during the pandemic.
Although Blue Cross Blue Shield did not consider it necessary in its original decision for Deines to return home to seek treatment, it apologized for the situation and said that he should instead stay in Denver.
“The first thought was, ‘I can’t believe this is happening,'” Deines said.
When he could not pay the bill, it was sent to the collection department.
Knowing Deines couldn’t pay, Angel MedFlight begged Blue Cross to cover the trip bill. The insurance company responded by telling Deines to return the check for $72,000.
The company then hired an independent auditor who ruled in Blue Cross’s favor, saying Deines should stay in Colorado despite living in North Carolina.
Deines’ account was eventually settled when KFF got involved and the companies came to an agreement. We will not be held responsible for any costs.
“We apologize for putting the member in the middle of this complicated situation,” a Blue Cross spokesperson told KFF.
“The ambulance company billed more than $70,000 for round-trip ground transportation to the airport alone, which is more than 30 times the average cost of ground medical transportation.”
A spokesperson for the ambulance company said, “The money situation will be resolved after North Carolina Blue has answered our official questions regarding your refund request.”
“One thing is for sure: Sean won’t have to pay for the hesitant decision regarding North Carolina’s coverage.”
Source: Daily Mail
I am Anne Johnson and I work as an author at the Fashion Vibes. My main area of expertise is beauty related news, but I also have experience in covering other types of stories like entertainment, lifestyle, and health topics. With my years of experience in writing for various publications, I have built strong relationships with many industry insiders. My passion for journalism has enabled me to stay on top of the latest trends and changes in the world of beauty.
