Linda Ragusa, Massachusetts

Linda Ragusa had a tumor on her optic nerve. She had surgery to remove part of the tumor, and in 2016, Linda began 6 weeks of radiation therapy to shrink the tumor and allow her to live a more normal, pain-free life. When it came to her insurance coverage, Linda did everything right. She spoke to her insurance company in advance about her radiation treatment and confirmed that her chosen provider would be fully covered.

But soon after she started therapy, Linda began receiving out of network notices and bills for the full cost of the radiation treatment.

Linda found out that her radiation therapy provider, who was listed on her insurance company’s website as “in-network,” actually had two different locations in the same area. The two locations contract with different insurance companies and charge patients different rates for care, despite offering the exact same services and being – on paper – the same radiation therapy provider.