A Virginia woman experiencing anaphylaxis after being stung by a wasp was required to pay $400 before an urgent care centre would administer an epinephrine injection, according to her account.
Stephanie Rowell, 53, was on her parents’ porch last July when she was stung. Her arm became red and itchy before the reaction spread to her face.
As her father drove her towards an emergency department, Rowell was taken to a TruHealthNow urgent care facility in Purcellville, about halfway through the 25-minute journey.
A nurse practitioner assessed her and identified the reaction as anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic response. Rowell was told she needed epinephrine.
But before the injection was given, a medical assistant told her the dose would cost $400 out of pocket. Rowell was uninsured and said she had to complete the payment before receiving the treatment.
She later told KFF Health News: “I asked, ‘If I didn’t have the money, would you have just let me die?’”
Rowell said staff replied: “Sorry, that is their policy.”
Her medical bills included $400 for the epinephrine, $40 for administering the injection and $165 for the consultation, bringing the reported total to $605.
TruHealthNow chief executive Preet Takhar said the centre’s policy was different, telling KFF Health News: “Our policy is we give the shot and worry about the money later.”
His wife, Manbir Takhar, the company’s medical director, said Rowell had been asked to pay first because she was considered “stable”. TruHealthNow privately owns and operates several primary and urgent care facilities in Virginia and Maryland.
Rowell said she was not primarily angry about the price of the treatment, but was confused that payment had been demanded while she was struggling to breathe.
