The cost of COVID-19: Is your insurance company paying their share?

What you need to know to avoid big bills

NOW TO AN I-TEAMEXCLUSIVE:IF YOU'RE HOSPITALIZEDWITH COVID-19 -- THEHOSPITAL BILLS COULDRATTLE YOU -- IF YOUDON'T KNOW WHAT TOLOOK FOR.AT THE START OF THEPANDEMIC, THE KAISERFAMILY FOUNDATION DID ASTUDY ESTIMATING WHATCOSTS YOU MIGHT FACE IFYOU WERE HOSPITALIZEDWITH COVID-19.THE AVERAGE WASBETWEEN 10-THOUSANDAND 20-THOUSANDDOLLARS -- ALLDEPENDING ON IF THEREWERE COMPLICATIONS.AND THESE NUMBERS AREBASED ON PEOPLE WITHINSURANCE.THANKFULLY, MOSTINSURANCE COMPANIESHAVE STEPPED UP TOCOVER COVID COSTS.BUT, AS ONE LOCALWOMAN FOUND OUT...SHOULD YOU FALL ILL...YOU STILL NEED TODOUBLE CHECK YOURBILLS.41 ACTION NEWS ANCHORCAITLIN KNUTE EXPLAINS.BACK IN MARCH, DR. GENAROSS WAS BUSYBALANCING CAMPAIGNINGFOR THE 6THCONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTOF MISSOURI WITHTEACHING AT KANSAS CITYKANSAS COMMUNITYCOLLEGE.THEN..

SHE GOT SICK ANDHER WORLD TURNEDUPSIDE DOWN.Gena Ross, PhD, COVID-19SURVIVOR: "The fevers were out of thisworld, I was just sweating, justdrenched, then cold, freezing,the coughs just got worse,and my breathing, it justlabored, really laboredbreathing to the point where Icouldn't breathe."SHE ENDED UP IN THEHOSPITAL WHERE A TESTCONFIRMED SHE HADCOVID-19, AND SHEQUICKLY REALIZED THESEVERITY OF HERSITUATION.Dr. Ro: "They put me on oxygen andthe first question they askedis, 'If you stop breathing doyou want us to rescusitateyou?'"AFTER SEVERAL DAYS INTHE HOSPITAL, ROSSRECOVERED.BUT, SHE WASREADMITTED A MONTHLATER AFTER DEVELOPINGA SEVERE CASE OFBRONCHITIS, SHEBELIEVES WASCOMPLICATED BYCORONAVIRUS.IN ALL, SHE SPENT 9 DAYSAT A ST.

LUKE'S HOSPITAL.NOT LONG AFTERRETURNING HOME, THEBILLS STARTED COMING IN.Ross: "I opened a few that wereover a thousand , I just putthem to the side and I called,and said, 'can I get somefinancial assistance?'"HOWEVER, AFTER 41ACTION NEWS GOTINVOLVED, WE LEARNEDTHOSE BILLS SHOULDHAVE BEEN COVERED.ALTHOUGH THEY WEREN'TINVOLVED WITH ROSS'CASE, EXPERTS WETALKED TO AGREED.Colette Lasack, KU Health SystemVP of Revenue Cycle Operations: "Insurance companiesbasically have told us acrossthe nation they will cover covidscreening and covid care, withno deductible and no copay."THE ONLY CONDITION?

INMANY CASES... COVID-19HAS TO BE THE PRIMARYDIAGNOSIS.STILL, THAT WAS THE CASEFOR ROSS.WE REACHED OUT TO HERINSURANCE COMPANY,AETNA.WHILE THEY COULDN'TCOMMENT SPECIFICALLYON HER CASE, THEY DIDCONFIRM, "we are waivingmember cost-sharing forinpatient admissions fortreatment of COVID-19 orhealth complicationsassociated with COVID-19.

Incertain cases, the claims thatwe receive from health careproviders may come in withmultiple diagnoses..... Assoon as we find out that theclaims are related to COVID-19, we make sure that theyare processed correctly...."SHORTLY AFTER WECONTACTED AETNA....ROSS LET US KNOW AETNACALLED AND HER CLAIMSWERE REPROCESSED,BRINGING HER BALANCEDOWN TO $0, WHICH CAMEAS A HUGE RELIEF.Ross: "The bills are real!

And somepeople can afford them, butsome people cannot."HER CASE SERVES AS AREMINDER TO MAKE SUREYOU UNDERSTAND WHATYOUR PLAN DOES ANDDOES NOT COVER.Caitlin Knute, Kansas City:"THERE ARE SOME THINGSYOU CAN DO NOW TOPROTECT YOURSELF FROMA BIG BILL LATER.FIRST, KNOW YOUR PLAN.DO YOU HAVE A HIGHDEDUCTIBLE?

IF SO, YOUMIGHT WANT TO CONSIDERMAKING A CHANGE.

AND, IFYOU'VE EXPERIENCED ANYKIND OF MAJOR LIFEEVENT LIKE BEINGFURLOUGED OR LAID OFF,YOU HAVE THE OPTION TOMAKE THOSE CHANGESNOW.SECOND, DO YOU KNOWWHICH HOSPITALS ARE INYOUR PLAN?

KNOWINGWHICH PROVIDERS AREIN-NETWORK NOW COULDSAVE YOU A LOT OFMONEY LATER, IF YOU ENDUP IN THE HOSPITAL.THIRD, IF YOU DO END UPWITH A BILL YOU CAN'TAFFORD TO PAY, REACHOUT FOR HELP."Colette: "Call, and let's walk through itand make sure your insurancecompany really did pay theyway we thought and youthought they were going topay."AND IF THAT DOESN'TWORK, ASK ABOUTSETTING UP A PAYMENTPLAN.FOR EXAMPLE, THEUNIVERSTIY OF KANSASHEALTH SYSTEM OFFERSPLANS SPANNING AS LONGAS FIVE YEARS IF NEED BE