"Maria Fraboni's daughter contracted COVID in 2022. Shortly after testing positive at a local clinic, she got a call from Stanford's Health Care's Infusion Center. The unsolicited call informed her that Stanford was conducting a COVID research study that supposedly aimed at reducing COVID symptoms, adverse side effects, and long term risks. Her daughter was told it involved three transfusions -- but would be free. So, she agreed to participate."
"'She was charged all this money,' Fraboni said. 'My heart was just breaking... I mean it's a good chunk of money!' Months after the transfusions, Fraboni got two hefty bills from Stanford in the mail, totaling more than $6,900. A patient relations manager told her 'our review indicates the left balance as the patient responsibility due to the 'deductible.'" The email also points out that the COVID treatment -- based on state law at the time -- should be 100% covered by the health plan."
A Redwood City daughter contracted COVID in 2022 and accepted an unsolicited call offering participation in a Stanford COVID research study involving three transfusions that were presented as free. Months after the transfusions, the family received two bills from Stanford totaling more than $6,900. Patient relations attributed the balance to the deductible, while communications noted state law required COVID treatment coverage by the health plan. The family filed claims with Cigna twice and experienced weeks of back-and-forth emails and unanswered calls while trying to resolve the billing dispute.
Read at ABC7 San Francisco
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]