Million-dollar hospitalization bills are not unheard of for people in the intensive care units because of COVID-19, according to health officials.
Colette Lasack, vice president of revenue cycle at the University of Kansas Health System, said it’s not unusual for a COVID patient who has been hospitalized several weeks in the ICU to have a bill of more than $1 million, and some have had bills of more than $2 million.
She said the health system helps patients secure coverage for their care, and there is a high discount rate for uninsured patients. Even so, sometimes people still have a bill of $100,000, which is impossible for many to pay.
After all avenues are exhausted, sometimes the health system has to write off the bill as charity care, putting a burden on the system, according to Lasack.
Most people don’t realize how financially devastating COVID can be for patients and their families, especially for younger patients who might not be able to go back to work for a long time, she said.
Now, many insurance companies are starting to end their initial practice of waiving deductibles and copays for COVID treatment, she said.
The insurance companies are starting to treat COVID as a preventable disease now that there are vaccines, and the unvaccinated may have to pay more for insurance, as smokers have to pay more, because they are at higher risk, she said.
At Delta Airlines, for example, employees have to pay more for insurance if they are unvaccinated, and that is an employer’s choice, Lasack said.
There is still no special coverage for long-haul patients, she said. That is difficult for patients who are dealing with symptoms for months or a year now, she said. These patients may not be able to work for a year or more, which might be devastating to their families, she added.
Vaccines and testing for COVID, along with monoclonal antibodies, are usually free, she said.
Lasack asked everyone who may be resisting the vaccine or not wearing a mask to think about their risk and the consequences of their behavior.
“Consider not only your health but also your financial health and what this could mean to you and your family,” she said.
To see more about this topic, visit https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/1174327129719087.
Vaccines, tests available
The former Kmart building at 7836 State Ave., a Unified Government Health Department vaccination site, will be open for testing from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and for free COVID-19 vaccinations from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. Walk-ins are accepted. There are incentives being offered for Wyandotte County residents, while supplies last. See WycoVaccines.org.
COVID-19 testing from WellHealth will be available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16, at the Kansas National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th. Appointments are necessary. The site is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. To make an appointment, including a same-day appointment, visit https://www.gogettested.com/kansas.
Mobile vaccines can be requested online at WycoVaccines.org or by calling 3-1-1 (913-573-5311). For more information on the Unified Government Health Department’s vaccine schedule, see WycoVaccines.org.
COVID-19 vaccines and tests are available at other locations in Wyandotte County, including some pharmacies. For locations and availability, visit www.vaccines.gov.
Free vaccinations at KU Health System are open to the public, and appointments are required. Current patients may use MyChart to make an appointment. Others may call 913-588-1227 or visit kansashealthsystem.com/vaccine to make an appointment to get vaccinated. KU Health System currently is vaccinating residents of Kansas and Missouri who are 12 or older, by appointment only. Those under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian throughout the appointment.
Case numbers reported
The University of Kansas Health System reported 78 total COVID-19 patients on Wednesday, Sept. 15, a decrease of one since Tuesday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. Thirty-eight patients with the active virus were inpatients on Wednesday, the same as Tuesday.Five of the 38 were fully vaccinated. Sixteen patients were in the intensive care unit, an increase of three since Tuesday. Nine patients were on ventilators, an increase of two since Tuesday. Forty other patients were still hospitalized from COVID, but were out of the acute infection phase, a decrease of one since Tuesday.
Wyandotte County reported a cumulative 23,374 cases on Wednesday, Sept. 15, an increase of 58 cases since Tuesday, Sept. 14, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There were a cumulative total of 345 deaths on Wednesday, no change since Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Sept. 15, the Unified Government Health Department reported that 47.98 percent of Wyandotte County residents had received at least one dose of vaccine. Those completing their vaccinations totaled about 41.34 percent.
The percentage of Wyandotte County residents who were age 12 and older who had received at least one dose was 59 percent.
The Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools’ COVID-19 dashboard reported on Wednesday, Sept. 15, that there were 194 students quarantined and 60 staff quarantined. There were 75 confirmed student cases and 25 confirmed staff cases. These figures were from the week of Sept. 4 through Sept. 10. Figures are reported each Wednesday.
The Board of Public Utilities reported at Wednesday night’s meeting, Sept. 15, that there was one employee out who had tested positive, and one employee on quarantine who had tested negative.
The Mid-America Regional Council reported 208,228 cases on Wednesday in Greater Kansas City, a nine-county area. There were a total of 2,825 deaths. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 131.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 393,696 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Wednesday, Sept. 15, an increase of 3,554 since Monday, Sept. 13. There was a total of 5,801 cumulative deaths reported statewide, an increase of 28 since Sept. 13.
The KDHE reported 72,640 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Johnson County on Sept. 15, an increase of 488 since Sept. 13. Leavenworth County had 9,644 cases on Sept. 15, an increase of 72 since Sept. 13. Sedgwick County (the Wichita area) reported 72,470 cases on Sept. 15, an increase of 920 since Sept. 13.
On Wednesday, the KHDE reported 11,123 cumulative cases in Douglas County (the Lawrence area), an increase of 101 since Sept. 13. Riley County (the Manhattan area) had 7,388 cumulative cases, an increase of 54 since Sept. 13. Shawnee County (the Topeka area) had 23,628 cumulative cases, an increase of 348 cases since Sept. 13.
On Wednesday night, there were a cumulative 41,536,615 COVID-19 cases in the United States, with a cumulative 666,618 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
Links
Visit gogettested.com/Kansas and https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19 for more testing sites.
Wyandotte County residents may contact the Health Department at wycohelp.org to sign up for a test to be delivered to their home.
For more details about free COVID-19 testing offered by the UG Health Department, visit https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept or call 3-1-1.
To view details about the extension of the mask order in KCK until Nov. 18, visit https://www.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/ug_extendsmaskmandate_nr_09102021.pdf.
To view the resolution extending the mask order, visit https://www.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/r-62-21.pdf.