Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
By The Time A New Mom Realized Her Premature Baby Wasn't Covered, It Was Too Late. She Was Already Stuck With A $898,984 Bill.
The administrators of Lauren Bard's health plan assured her three days after the early birth of her daughter that the baby was covered. But she didn't realize she would need to be enrolled through the website within 31 days of the birth.
ProPublica: How One Employer Stuck A New Mom With A $898,984 Bill For Her Premature Baby
Lauren Bard opened the hospital bill this month and her body went numb. In bold block letters it said, “AMOUNT DUE: $898,984.57.” Last fall, Bard’s daughter, Sadie, had arrived about three months prematurely; and as a nurse herself, Bard knew the costs for Sadie’s care would be high. But she’d assumed the bulk would be covered by the organization that owned the hospital where she worked: Dignity Health, whose marketing motto is “Hello humankindness.” She would be wrong. (Allen, 11/4)
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