In the summer of 2020, Mrs. Wilson was at her Staten Island home battling an active COVID infection when she heard a knock at the door. Northwell Health was suing her for $100,000. Three years prior, Mrs. Wilson started receiving care she needed to manage her chronic condition. Working in administrative services for the city of …
“I wanted to rip my head off, I was in so much pain. And they make me sign a loan?” Working as a cashier at a fabric store in New York City, Lizette Valdovinos makes a modest income and uses Medicaid to cover her health expenses. Finding the right doctors has been a challenge. “It’s …
$5,000 in Debt for Dental Care – Lizette’s Story Read More »
When Katherine* was rushed to Northwell Hospital for brain trauma in August 2021, her main concern was recovering from the nightmare of emergency neurosurgery. Then she saw the medical bills. Years prior, Katherine did as many young and healthy independent contractors do: she signed onto a freelancer’s small group insurance plan. She chose the plan …
An Emergency, A Fake Health Plan, and over $600,000 in Bills – Katherine’s Story Read More »
As COVID-19 continues its spread across the country, a growing number of New Yorkers are experiencing persistent memory loss, nerve damage and other chronic neurological symptoms of long COVID. While much is unknown about long COVID at this stage, one thing is clear: the illness can be devastating to patients’ health, well-being and finances. …
Guest Post by Chuck Bell, Programs Director, Advocacy, Consumer Reports Saturday, September 17 has been designated as World Patient Safety Day by the World Health organization. This year’s theme is Medication Safety, to highlight the importance of avoiding errors and mistakes in prescribing, administering and taking prescription drugs. Medication harm accounts for 50% of the …
World Patient Safety Day Highlights Risks of Medication Errors Read More »
Retired from government work since 1997, Ms. Ellis’ greatest joy is spending time with her daughter and granddaughter in their Queens home. When her retirement funds stopped coming in over an unpaid medical bill she never received – for a procedure she didn’t remember having – her family also became her fiercest advocates. Following a …
They Took My Retirement Funds Over a Medical Bill: Ms. Ellis’ Story Read More »
“As someone struggling with medical bills myself, it became my mission to make sure everyone knew about financial assistance.” A patient navigator for ACR Health and helpline volunteer with Community Health Advocates, Sheryl knows firsthand how challenging it can be to access the funds New York hospitals are legally required to provide to low-income patients. …
“We Can’t Just Tell Everybody About That” – Sheryl’s Financial Assistance Story Read More »
The reconciliation package has been in negotiations for weeks at this point. It’s been whittled down from its original $3.5 trillion sum, but what’s still in it? What’s been cut out? And what is still unclear? We’ve got you covered! Great, there’s finally a bill. What’s in it? Glad you asked. We still don’t have …
When Mr. Berg received a notice in the mail informing him he was being sued by Samaritan Hospital in Troy, NY over unpaid medical debt, he and his wife were shocked, then confused. They had been making regular payments to the hospital’s collection agency to cover Mr. Berg’s $5,300 bill for an emergency room visit …
“Fight Back, Don’t Quit, Don’t Give Up”: Mr. Berg’s Story Read More »
Meet David, a man who is disabled, undocumented, houseless, and fighting cancer—and he’s a cat dad. At the beginning of last year, David lived at a housing facility in the Lower East Side. He was accompanied by a small tabby cat named Lucky, who became a close companion after David saved his life. But one …
