Miami man stuck with big bill to rule out coronavirus no longer owes money on his claim
The Miami man who made international headlines after he wound up with a bill for $3,270 due to diagnostic tests to rule out the novel coronavirus doesn’t owe his insurer anything anymore because the company waived all testing fees.
Osmel Martinez Azcue had been on a work trip to China when he returned to Miami and began to experience flu-like symptoms, so he took the advice of physicians and went to Jackson Memorial Hospital for testing. It turned out that Azcue had the flu, but because he was routed through the emergency department, he potentially owed thousands of dollars under his insurance plan with National General Insurance.
On Monday, the company announced it was waiving all out-of-pocket costs for diagnostic tests to rule out COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The news came after Florida and other state officials issued varying guidance to lower cost barriers to COVID-19 testing.
Azcue said he was also individually notified this week that he no longer owed money to Jackson. Before the announcement, Jackson Health officials had told the Miami Herald he would be responsible for about $1,400 of his bill, and that other providers at their hospital might bill as well.
“I’m thankful that, at the end, our government, health authorities and even private insurance companies all joined forces to eliminate the financial burden from all citizens who need to be tested for COVID-19,” Azcue told the Miami Herald on Wednesday.
He added: “I think we all feel safer now knowing that people won’t think twice to seek medical advisement, or to get tested.”
Azcue’s billing story was cited by presidential candidates and federal lawmakers after the story raised alarms about the potential financial burdens that might prevent people from getting tested for COVID-19. The Democrat-controlled House Committee on Oversight and Reform sent a letter to U.S. Health and Human Services referencing the Miami Herald article, asking the agency how it planned to ensure that uninsured or under-insured people could access the tests.
Miami Democratic Rep. Donna Shalala introduced legislation Tuesday that would require health insurers to cover the full costs of coronavirus tests for any American who has health insurance through their employer, or who has purchased an Obamacare plan.
But Azcue had a limited insurance plan, allowed in 2018 when President Donald Trump’s administration rolled back Affordable Care Act regulations and allowed so-called “junk plans” in the market. Consumers sometimes may mistakenly assume that the plans with lower monthly costs will be sufficient in case of a medical catastrophe, but often the plans aren’t very different from going without insurance altogether.
Azcue said he earns about $55,000 a year working for a medical device company that does not offer health insurance, but his insurance plan wasn’t always so narrow. Last year, Azcue said he was covered under an ACA-compliant plan that cost him about $278 in monthly premiums.
Those premiums shot up to $400 a month when his full year salary kicked in and he lost subsidies, so he canceled his plan in November, he said. Azcue said he now pays $180 per month for the limited plan from National General Insurance.
Before the insurer waived his claim, Azcue said he was being asked to provide three years of medical records before his coverage would have kicked in.
Since his story went viral on social media, Azcue said he has been contacted by multiple media outlets and numerous politicians. But while he supports U.S. healthcare reform, Azcue said he doesn’t advocate for any specific kind of policy proposal, though some healthcare activists have cited his story as an example of why the country should expand Medicare to cover all citizens.
“Everyday Americans need to stop fearing visiting the doctor because they cannot afford a consult,” he said. “Hopefully, experiences like mine can contribute to the conversation in a meaningful and positive way.”
This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
