Pediatricians often encourage parents to vaccinate their kids. It’s not just for their health, it’s more the well-being of the entire community. But like most things when it comes to American health, insurance companies don’t always pick up the tab. Dad Thang Nguyen of Galveston, Texas, recently felt the health care system’s expensive wrath.
The West Texas measles outbreak is currently impacting six counties. The issue began in March, and has since spread, accounting for 150 cases across these areas. So naturally, when a Texas dad of three heard the scary news, he sprung into action to protect his 4-year-old son, who had only completed the first dose of two vaccinations. Unfortunately, according to Raw Story, the dad ended up receiving a $1,400 bill for his efforts.
His son, Anah Hoang, received one shot to help prevent measles, along with other highly contagious (and potentially deadly) diseases such as mumps, rubella, and chickenpox. He also received his TDAP shot, which prevents tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough, plus a flu shot. In addition, the dad also had his twin daughters brought up to date on their immunizations, though they were already fully immunized against measles.
Making only $57,000 a year working in a lab as a University of Texas Medical Branch postdoctoral fellow in public health and infectious disease, the dad was assured that insurance would cover the gaps. Nguyen was unable to afford the monthly $615 policy for his family, so he opted to to pay the $1,841 yearly policy from TaiAn. And despite assurances his insurance would cover the vaccinations, he soon received a bill for over $5,000 for all of his kids’ immunizations.
The MMRV shot alone cost about $1,400, which is more than five times what it costs in the private sector, according to the CDC.
Ultimately the bill ended up being an error, as the staff at the clinic entered his insurance information incorrectly, misrepresenting his actual coverage. Another error revealed that the clinic had priced the vaccines incorrectly, causing chaos for families who don’t know to look deeper into pricing and coverage.
Luckily, the insurance company waived the cost of the vaccines, and his new bill was $202.75 for his son. Take this as a sign to push back and keep working to figure out what your insurance covers.
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