Prisma Health suspends COVID-19-related patient billing
Prisma Health has temporarily suspended all patient statements and billing related to the COVID-19 coronavirus, the healthcare organization announced Thursday.
Patients seeking treatment at Prisma facilities won’t have to pay upfront to be seen and statements will be suspended until more details are worked out with insurance companies, lab partners, state and federal agencies, the healthcare group said.
Testing for COVID-19 is free after Congress passed funding to cover the cost of all tests. But for those who experience severe symptoms and require treatment and hospitalization, bills can reach thousands of dollars, analysts have found. In at least one extreme case, an uninsured woman’s bill reached past $30,000.
In addition to suspending payments, Prisma also announced Wednesday that it — in conjunction with scientists at the University of South Carolina and Clemson University — had developed a device that allows ventilators to support up to four patients. Ventilator shortages are a major concern in the coronavirus pandemic, and the “VESper” device has received emergency approval from the FDA to be produced and used immediately during the crisis.
