Medical Bill Shock for Peoria Woman
A Peoria woman was taken aback when she received a $15,000 medical bill right before her surgery, due to her insurance company’s contract with the local hospital expiring a day earlier.
Terry Griffin was in need of reconstructive surgery on her nose after skin cancer removal left a significant defect that required a series of operations to fix.
“I had a little spot on my nose that just wouldn’t go away,” she commented.
While the initial two surgeries at St. Joseph’s Hospital were covered by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, her experience with the third surgery turned out to be a financial nightmare.
“I had the surgery without being informed that the negotiations had failed, which left me out of network,” she explained, highlighting the unexpected financial burden. “Whenever you go to the hospital, it’s expensive.”
This particular surgery, known as flap reconstruction, is generally performed in three phases, spaced about a month apart.
Unfortunately, the day prior to Griffin’s third surgery, Anthem’s contract with the hospital’s parent company, Dignity Health, lapsed. Griffin mentioned that she was unaware of this development.
Due to the lack of an agreement between the insurance company and the hospital, she was hit with a bill exceeding $15,000. “It’s just astonishing—getting a bill like that and feeling powerless,” she said.
In her attempts to negotiate with the hospital, officials were unwilling to lower the bill. “They offered me a payment plan of $396 a month for 36 months, which was the best they could do,” Griffin stated.
Realizing that paying nearly $400 a month for three years was unmanageable, she reached out to the On Your Side team for assistance. Following their intervention, a hospital executive contacted Griffin directly.
The executive suggested slashing the bill from $15,448 to $2,277. Furthermore, if she paid immediately, the amount would be halved again.
Ultimately, her final payment was reduced to $1,138. “I couldn’t believe it—I started crying,” Griffin said, expressing her relief.
Griffin expressed gratitude for the help she received from On Your Side, saying, “I thought, what do I have to lose? It felt like you were an angel.”
The ongoing dispute between Dignity Health and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield has persisted for six weeks and may impact numerous patients facing similar out-of-network billing issues.
