‘Nine years later, I still owe $19,000’ — Ohioans struggle with surprise medical bills

Columbus Dispatch

About 1 in 3 Ohioans with private health insurance was surprised by a medical bill in the past year, according to a new survey, and those surprises were not pleasant.

Twice, Greg Pace went to the emergency room for severe stomach pain but was sent home.

The pain got worse, and he went to another hospital, thinking it was in-network. There, he was told that his gall bladder needed to be removed. Pace was given the option of checking into the hospital and having surgery immediately or going home with pain medication and returning after the weekend.

The Columbus engineer chose the latter — a decision that will wreak financial implications for the rest of the 65-year-old’s life.

“If I had checked in to the hospital, the surgery would have been covered as an emergency surgery,” Pace said.

Instead, he got a bill for $27,000.

He said the hospital never explained that, if he went home, his surgery would not be considered an emergency and would not be covered by his insurance.

“Nine years later, I still owe $19,000,” Pace said. “I’m 65 years old now, and I do not anticipate my medical debts will be close to paid off by the time of death, whenever that is.”

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Steve Wagner, executive director of the nonprofit Universal Health Care Action Network of Ohio, urged lawmakers to address health care costs.

“Without affordability, consumers will not get preventive care and treatment necessary to stay healthy. The problems with affordability significantly contribute to the relative unhealthy status and poor health value that Ohio has in comparison to other states,” he said.