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Listen: How Skimpy Insurance Led To A $21,634 Hospital Bill

Laura Ungar, a Kaiser Health News editor and correspondent, joined Illinois Public Media’s “The 21st” with host Christine Herman and Chicago-area patient Arline Feilen to discuss the challenges that arise when health plans don’t have adequate coverage. Ungar reported on the case of Feilen, who ended up with a $21,634 bill after a mental health crisis put her in the hospital for five nights. “It’s more than a year’s pay, let’s put it that way,” Feilen said.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

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