Bill of the Month: Doctor Faces $64K Bill for Ankle Surgery and Hospital Stay
Physician Lauren Hughes was driving to a clinic about 20 miles from her Denver home in February when another driver T-boned her Subaru, totaling the vehicle. She was rushed by ambulance to Platte Valley Hospital, the nearest facility.
At the emergency room, Hughes was diagnosed with bruising, a deep cut on her knee, and a broken ankle. Doctors recommended immediate surgery to prevent infection and ensure proper healing.
“They said: ‘You have this fracture and a big gaping wound in your knee. We need to take you to the OR to wash it out and make sure there’s no infection,’” Hughes recalled. “As a clinician, I thought, ‘Yes.’”
She underwent surgery that evening, during which surgeons cleaned the wound on her right knee and realigned the broken bone in her ankle, stabilizing it with metal screws. She stayed overnight in the hospital and was discharged the next day with a friend assisting her return home.
The hospital, which was not in-network with her employer-provided insurance plan, charged $63,976.35 for the surgery and one night’s stay. Surgery is generally advised when a fracture is unlikely to heal properly with only a cast.
Summary
This case highlights the high costs that patients, even medical professionals, can face for emergency care when treated by out-of-network providers.
Would you like the summary to be more detailed or concise?