URBANA, Ill. (WAND) - Carle Health said dozens of patients were mistakenly billed after taking the COVID-19 vaccine.
The health system said it uncovered the error in its billing process after patients reported issues. About 30 uninsured patients were billed $55 for the vaccine.
Carle said it quickly acted to investigation the source of the problem and has a new procedure in place to keep this from happening again. The company is proactively reaching out to affected patients to alert them of the error.
Anyone who is uninsured and was billed from Carle for their vaccine should call (888)712-2753 for help.
“Carle provides care to all who need it and believe concerns about the cost of healthcare should not stop anyone from receiving it,” Kayla Banks, vice president of women’s and children’s services for Carle Health, said. “Today, we’re extending this commitment by again sharing with patients and our communities that Carle will not bill patients directly for the COVID-19 vaccine.”
Banks said that in accordance with the CARES Act, Carle will continue first requesting reimbursement from private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid before it requests federal reimbursement for any cost sharing, but patients will not have any out-of-pocket cost for vaccine delivery. For uninsured people, Carle can seek reimbursement from the federal government, but the individual will not have any responsibility for any cost sharing.
“Carle has worked with several patients who received an Explanation of Benefits from their insurance provider showing a patient balance, which caused them to believe they would incur an out of pocket cost which isn’t the case,” Banks said. “Additionally, MyCarle users have noticed real time charges posting before insurance has been applied and called to express concerns about their costs.”
According to Banks, while health insurance can be complicated and confusing, it's most important for the community to know Carle is committed to delivering the vaccine to people who need it safely and efficiently.
“We’re continuing to work with our local public health departments to remove barriers for those who want to receive the vaccine and our prompt attention to patient concerns today is just one more way to be sure anyone who wants a vaccine in our community can get one – without the fear or burden of a bill,” Banks said.
