Woman Received $28,000 Bill For A Throat Swab Test

Medical illness can cost you a fortune, especially if you don’t have insurance. Alexa Kasdan from New York City would have never imagined her sore throat would cost her more than $28,000.

At first, she thought it was a mistake, “I thought maybe they meant $250. I couldn’t fathom in what universe I would go to a doctor for a strep throat culture and some antibiotics and I would end up with a $25,000 bill.”

Fortunately, the woman was insured by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. They wanted to check up on bee cold symptoms to make sure there was nothing to worry about. 

Alexa Kasdan arranged an appointment with her routine doctor, Dr. Roya Fathollahi at Manhattan Specialty Care. She said, “I thought maybe because my throat had started hurting a lot, I potentially had strep throat,”

The doctor gave her a strep throat test. “She sent in a nurse, and they did blood work. That was it. She gave me a prescription for antibiotics. I left,” Kasdan said

Soon she started feeling better but within 10 days her she got uncertain messages from the clinic. She found out that her doctor had carried out an expensive and extensive series of respiratory culture tests. All the tests were performed under Kadsan’s insurance network except for the throat swab test performed by the lab. 

“She didn’t give me any indication that she was going to do anything more than just a basic strep test,” Kasdan said.

All the tests collectively ended up with a bill of more than $28,000. After reducing the co-pay, the insurance corporation covered most of the bill, sending a check for $25,865.24. Her doctor paid $2,530.26 for the remainder.

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Kasdan claimed that her doctor’s clinic and the lab shared a phone number and address. They wanted her to turn over that total insurance expenditure shortly.

“Blue Cross Blue Shield also kind of dropped the ball here, and they should have flagged this and they didn’t,” Kasdan said.

Kasdan provided the check to the doctor, but Blue Cross Blue Shield told Kaiser Health News that they are now evaluating the case and has placed a hold on the check. The doctor was asked to give comments on this case but he hasn’t responded yet. 

CBS This Morning has collaborated with Kaiser Health News and NPR on their “Bill of the Month” series, to reveal more about the shocking medical bills. 

Other medics claimed that the tests requested by the doctor, in this case, were unusual and completely unnecessary. These tests are generally prescribed and performed for patients with pneumonia or in an intensive care unit.  

This was all that is currently known about the case. We’ll post more about it once the details are revealed. Tell us what you think about it in the comments section below. Stay tuned for more medical news and health-related content.