When Lindsey Messinger had to spend the night in Poudre Valley Hospital earlier this year, the last thing she was worried about was the cost — until she saw that cost.
One line item in particular stood out: the UCHealth charge for a pneumonia vaccine a nurse had recommended.
“I thought maybe someone entered that in wrong,” Messinger said. “Maybe there’s an extra digit that there shouldn’t be. Between the vaccine and the administration cost, it was $4,400.”
Messinger’s records show her insurance would cover some of that cost, but not all. She would be responsible for about $700.
“I can see paying more for something at a hospital — maybe double, triple, quadruple, maybe. But this was 14 times what I would have paid getting this vaccine at my pharmacy.”
View the full story at ABC Denver 7 here.
This fall, Congress is considering bipartisan solutions to improve health care price transparency and protect families from being charged more for the same service. Explore the latest resources from our campaign and learn more about federal proposals on our resources page.
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