Hospital charges can quickly add up, but one California family was shocked to see a $10,000 medical bill for a two-day hospital stay, Cafe Mom reports. The new parents received the bill in the name of their newborn daughter Lainey Walls following her birth.
The high cost was especially surprising because the couple has health insurance. According to Lainey’s mother, Kelly Walls, the delivery and hospital stay should have been covered by United Healthcare.
Insured Mom Understandably Frustrated After She Receives a $10,000 Insurance Bill After Giving Birth in a Hospital
“It’s frustrating and I feel like it’s wrong for a new mom to have to fight their health insurance,” Kelly shared with KVOR. And consumer insurance advocate Emily Rogan agreed. Rogan told the news outlet that a newborn is covered under the mother’s insurance for the first 30 days of life.
“I’m so frustrated when I hear that,” Emily added. “That is a world away from what a new mom really should be thinking about.”
As any new mom knows, the last thing anyone would want to do after bringing an infant home is to spend their precious first moments together fighting an insurance company. Luckily, the bill was wiped clean by the insurance company soon after the family’s story went public.
The parents were still responsible for a co-pay but were relieved to not have a $10,000 debt hanging over their heads. “That’s a huge relief that it’s taken care of,” said the new mom.
As KVOR reports, the insurance company eventually fessed up to their error and issued an apology to the family for their mistake. “We apologize for the errors in handling Ms. Walls claims for her daughter’s hospital stay, and have paid the claims according to Ms. Walls’ benefits plan,” a note to KVOR reportedly said.
Kelly said she knows she can’t be the only mom this has happened to and hopes to make others more aware of the potential mistakes that can happen while making an insurance claim.
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