Just got the explanation of benefits (EOB) for my son’s life flight bill, and it’s $103,300. Insurance says they won’t cover it because it wasn’t pre-approved, so I’m stuck with the entire bill. The hospital told us the flight was necessary because my son, who broke his femur riding a bull, was at risk for compartment syndrome. He needed to be flown to a bigger hospital since the local one couldn’t handle it.
What are my options here? I’m planning on contacting my lawyer. The hospital never mentioned anything about the cost. We asked if the flight was necessary because we knew it would be expensive, and they insisted it was.
I’ll also call the insurance and ask them if, in a medical emergency, they really expect me to call for pre-approval.
Went through something similar with my husband after his car wreck. Life flight saved him, but insurance said the provider was out of network. Technically, they aren’t required to pay for that. Most people don’t know that’s how it works. There are special plans just for this kind of thing on top of regular insurance. It’s crazy! I’d start by negotiating the price down. It shouldn’t be more than $50,000 even with a 4-hour transfer. Hope your son recovers quickly! And don’t stress too much about medical debt in Texas—it doesn’t hurt your credit as much.
With that kind of wealth, bankruptcy might not be an option. First, get an umbrella insurance policy going forward. Next, talk to a professional about negotiating the bill. A court probably won’t discharge that debt given your assets.
Yeah, it won’t help with this bill but will cover you for the next time something happens. I pay about $6 a month for a million in protection. Totally worth it.
You’ll probably have to keep fighting both the insurance and the hospital. It’s a pain, but you can usually get the bill reduced if you stay persistent. Best of luck with everything. I hope your son is doing okay.
Before filing bankruptcy, I usually recommend trying to ignore it and see what happens. Sometimes they reduce the bill on their own, and if not, you can still file later. But in your case with that much wealth, you might just want to hire a lawyer and have them handle it for you.
I’m just going to say what I’m thinking. You let your kid ride bulls, an extreme sport, and now you’re surprised that you’re facing big medical bills? You knew the risks when you put him in that ring. I’m sorry for your situation, but maybe it’s time to take responsibility for your choices.
It’s ridiculous that an emergency flight costs $100k and that insurance can weasel out of paying it, but you’ve got a million in your 401k and $600k in assets. Just negotiate the bill down as much as you can and pay it.
Vote for candidates who support universal healthcare. Then we wouldn’t have these insane bills. In the meantime, you owe $100k. Bull riding is a risky sport to let your kid do.
I wouldn’t deal with the insurance company myself. Let a lawyer handle it. I’ve seen this happen with extreme sports before, like when I used to skydive. My insurance wouldn’t cover it because they considered it a high-risk activity. I think bull riding might be viewed the same way, which could be your issue here.
Yeah, they really expect you to make the call to insurance yourself. Their job is to keep your son alive, but figuring out how it gets paid for is on you.