‘An Arm And A Leg’: If Insurer Bills You For COVID Testing, Talk — And Maybe Tweet — It Out

By Dan Weissmann April 30, 2020

Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen.

About This Podcast

Health care — and how much it costs — is scary. But you’re not alone with this stuff, and knowledge is power. “An Arm and a Leg” is a podcast about these issues, and its second season is co-produced by KHN.

Visit armandalegshow.com

Anna Davis Abel’s insurance company pledged to cover COVID-19 testing without cost sharing, but then left her to pay a big bill.

Davis Abel got help thanks to a viral tweet — and from a reporter who reached out to and prodded her insurance company. But her story exposes gaps in the protections Congress put in place to make coronavirus testing more affordable for consumers with health coverage.

In Episode 4, we tell that story, then dive into the generous, moving and complicated ways people responded to Davis Abel’s tweet. There is a happy ending, but even with everybody doing their absolute best, things got uncomfortable ― even painful ― for Davis Abel along the way.

Her story, which is also featured in the latest NPR-KHN “Bill of the Month” installment, gets to the heart of dealing with the cost of health care — especially in the world of COVID-19 and the internet.

Has anything weird happened with your bills related to coronavirus testing or treatment? Please tell us about it.

“SEASON-19” of “An Arm and a Leg” is a co-production of Kaiser Health News and Public Road Productions.

To keep in touch with “An Arm and a Leg,” subscribe to the newsletter. You can also follow the show on Facebook and Twitter. And if you’ve got stories to tell about the health care system, the producers would love to hear from you.

To hear all Kaiser Health News podcasts, click here.

And subscribe to “An Arm and a Leg” on iTunes, Pocket Casts, Google Play or Spotify.

Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
Email
Print
Republish This Story

Copy And Paste To Republish This Story

‘An Arm And A Leg’: If Insurer Bills You For COVID Testing, Talk — And Maybe Tweet — It Out

By Dan Weissmann April 30, 2020

Article HTML

<h1>‘An Arm And A Leg’: If Insurer Bills You For COVID Testing, Talk — And Maybe Tweet — It Out</h1>
	<span class="byline">Dan Weissmann</span>

// Autosize iframe
				var funcSizeResponse = function( e ) {

var origin = document.createElement( 'a' );
					origin.href = e.origin;

// Verify message origin
					if ( 'embeds.kff.org' !== origin.host )
						return;

// Verify message is in a format we expect
					if ( 'object' !== typeof e.data || undefined === e.data.msg_type )
						return;

switch ( e.data.msg_type ) {
						case 'poll_size:response':
							var iframe = document.getElementById( e.data._request.frame_id );

if ( iframe && '' === iframe.width )
								iframe.width = '100%';
							if ( iframe && '' === iframe.height )
								iframe.height = parseInt( e.data.height );

return;
						default:
							return;
					}
				}

if ( 'function' === typeof window.addEventListener ) {
					window.addEventListener( 'message', funcSizeResponse, false );
				} else if ( 'function' === typeof window.attachEvent ) {
					window.attachEvent( 'onmessage', funcSizeResponse );
				}
			}
			if (document.readyState === 'complete') { func.apply(); /* compat for infinite scroll */ }
			else if ( document.addEventListener ) { document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', func, false ); }
			else if ( document.attachEvent ) { document.attachEvent( 'onreadystatechange', func ); }
		} )();
		</script>

<p><em>Can’t see the audio player? <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/episode/covid-tests-are-free-except-when-theyre-not/">Click here to listen.</a></em></p>

<aside class="related related-slab pull-right">
											<div class="slab default-slab ">
													<h3>
					<a href="https://armandalegshow.com/">
		About This Podcast			</a>
			</h3>
<div class="slab-container">	<div class="slab-content">
		
	<iframe 
 title="‘An Arm And A Leg’: If Insurer Bills You For COVID Testing, Talk — And Maybe Tweet — It Out" aria-label="Podcast title: ‘An Arm And A Leg’: If Insurer Bills You For COVID Testing, Talk — And Maybe Tweet — It Out"
		id="wpcom-iframe-5d9fbbf4ec16dc97f6ced7fd91147e4a"
		width="100%"
		height="188"
		src="https://embeds.kff.org/protected-iframe/5d9fbbf4ec16dc97f6ced7fd91147e4a"
		scrolling=""
		frameborder="0"
		class="wpcom-protected-iframe"
		>
	</iframe>
	<script type="text/javascript">
		( function() {
			var func = function() {
				var iframe = document.getElementById('wpcom-iframe-5d9fbbf4ec16dc97f6ced7fd91147e4a')
				if ( iframe ) {
					iframe.onload = function() {
						iframe.contentWindow.postMessage( {
							'msg_type': 'poll_size',
							'frame_id': 'wpcom-iframe-5d9fbbf4ec16dc97f6ced7fd91147e4a'
						}, "https:\/\/embeds.kff.org" );
					}
				}

// Autosize iframe
				var funcSizeResponse = function( e ) {

var origin = document.createElement( 'a' );
					origin.href = e.origin;

// Verify message origin
					if ( 'embeds.kff.org' !== origin.host )
						return;

// Verify message is in a format we expect
					if ( 'object' !== typeof e.data || undefined === e.data.msg_type )
						return;

switch ( e.data.msg_type ) {
						case 'poll_size:response':
							var iframe = document.getElementById( e.data._request.frame_id );

if ( iframe && '' === iframe.width )
								iframe.width = '100%';
							if ( iframe && '' === iframe.height )
								iframe.height = parseInt( e.data.height );

return;
						default:
							return;
					}
				}

<p><em>Can’t see the audio player? <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/episode/covid-tests-are-free-except-when-theyre-not/">Click here to listen.</a></em></p>

<p>Anna Davis Abel’s insurance company pledged to cover COVID-19 testing without cost sharing, but then left her to pay a big bill.</p>
<p>Davis Abel got help thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/AnnaDavisAbel/status/1245448322044899328?s=20">a viral tweet</a> — and from a reporter who reached out to and prodded her insurance company. But her story exposes gaps in the protections Congress put in place to make coronavirus testing more affordable for consumers with health coverage.</p>
<p>In Episode 4, we tell that story, then dive into the generous, moving and complicated ways people responded to Davis Abel’s tweet. There is a happy ending, but even with everybody doing their absolute best, things got uncomfortable ― even painful ― for Davis Abel along the way.</p>
<p>Her story, which is also featured in the latest NPR-KHN “<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/bill-of-the-month-covid19-tests-are-free-except-when-theyre-not/">Bill of the Month</a>” installment, gets to the heart of dealing with the cost of health care — especially in the world of COVID-19 and the internet.</p>
<p>Has anything weird happened with your bills related to coronavirus testing or treatment? Please <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/send-us-your-medical-bills/">tell us about it</a>.</p>

<p>“SEASON-19” of “An Arm and a Leg” is a co-production of Kaiser Health News and Public Road Productions.</p>
<p>To keep in touch with “An Arm and a Leg,” <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/newsletter/">subscribe to the newsletter</a>. You can also follow the show on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/armandalegshow/">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/armandalegshow">Twitter</a>. And if you’ve got stories to tell about the health care system, the producers <a href="https://armandalegshow.com/contact-us/">would love to hear from you</a>.</p>
<p><em>To hear all Kaiser Health News podcasts, <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/tag/podcast/">click here</a>.</em></p>
<p><em>And subscribe to “An Arm and a Leg” on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/an-arm-and-a-leg/id1438778444">iTunes</a>, <a href="https://play.pocketcasts.com/web/discover/podcast/6e9e33e0-b911-0136-7b93-27f978dac4db">Pocket Casts</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hcm1hbmRhbGVnc2hvdy5jb20vZmVlZC9wb2RjYXN0Lw%3D%3D">Google Play</a> or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3wBgLSbYPKT3gnd9KGjz5t?si=jEMzB2soS_ayOsYbK0cmnQ">Spotify</a>.</em></p>
<div class="sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled"><div class="robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-text sd-sharing"><div class="sd-content"><ul><li class="share-twitter"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-twitter-1093601" class="share-twitter sd-button no-icon" href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/an-arm-and-a-leg-if-insurer-bills-you-for-covid-testing-talk-and-maybe-tweet-it-out/?share=twitter" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Twitter" ><span>Twitter</span></a></li><li class="share-facebook"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-facebook-1093601" class="share-facebook sd-button no-icon" href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/an-arm-and-a-leg-if-insurer-bills-you-for-covid-testing-talk-and-maybe-tweet-it-out/?share=facebook" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Facebook" ><span>Facebook</span></a></li><li class="share-linkedin"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-linkedin-1093601" class="share-linkedin sd-button no-icon" href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/an-arm-and-a-leg-if-insurer-bills-you-for-covid-testing-talk-and-maybe-tweet-it-out/?share=linkedin" target="_blank" title="Click to share on LinkedIn" ><span>LinkedIn</span></a></li><li class="share-email"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="" class="share-email sd-button no-icon" href="mailto:?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20%E2%80%98An%20Arm%20And%20A%20Leg%E2%80%99%3A%20If%20Insurer%20Bills%20You%20For%20COVID%20Testing%2C%20Talk%20%E2%80%94%20And%20Maybe%20Tweet%20%E2%80%94%20It%20Out&body=https%3A%2F%2Fkffhealthnews.org%2FMTA5MzYwMQ&share=email" target="_blank" title="Click to email a link to a friend" data-email-share-error-title="Do you have email set up?" data-email-share-error-text="If you're having problems sharing via email, you might not have email set up for your browser. You may need to create a new email yourself." data-email-share-nonce="4458b37f58" data-email-share-track-url="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/an-arm-and-a-leg-if-insurer-bills-you-for-covid-testing-talk-and-maybe-tweet-it-out/?share=email"><span>Email</span></a></li><li class="share-print"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="" class="share-print sd-button no-icon" href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/an-arm-and-a-leg-if-insurer-bills-you-for-covid-testing-talk-and-maybe-tweet-it-out/#print" target="_blank" title="Click to print" ><span>Print</span></a></li><li class="share-republish">
				<a
					rel="nofollow"
					class="share-republish sd-button"
					title="Republish this story"
					href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/an-arm-and-a-leg-if-insurer-bills-you-for-covid-testing-talk-and-maybe-tweet-it-out/view/republish/" >
					<span>Republish This Story</span>
				</a>
			</li></ul></div></div></div>

We encourage organizations to republish our content, free of charge. Here’s what we ask:

You must credit us as the original publisher, with a hyperlink to our kffhealthnews.org site. If possible, please include the original author(s) and KFF Health News” in the byline. Please preserve the hyperlinks in the story.

Have questions? Let us know at KHNHelp@kff.org

More From KFF Health News

More Californians Are Freezing to Death. Experts Point to More Older Homeless People.

A close up photo of a doctor's hands putting on blue sterilized surgical gloves in a medical setting.

Removing a Splinter? Treating a Wart? If a Doctor Does It, It Can Be Billed as Surgery

An array of solar panels on the roof of a building with a skyline in the background.

Patients Couldn’t Pay Their Utility Bills. One Hospital Turned to Solar Power for Help.

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': A Killing Touches Off Backlash Against Health Insurers

Related Topics

More From KFF Health News