Many people, even those with health insurance, feel ripped off after a hospital stay. According to a 2014 Harvard School of Public Health study, 42% of Americans surveyed do not trust doctors. Doctors are seen as “a group concerned with their own professional problems and economic issues,” according to Robert Blendon, a Harvard professor of health policy and analysis.
Bella, a woman from Denver, had an experience that exemplifies why many Americans feel this way. Bella was taken to the hospital for a collapsed lung and remained there for three and a half days. Her stay was prolonged by one day due to complications from mistakes made by the hospital.
Research is hard to come by, but experts have found that as many as 16% of surgery patients worldwide suffer some type of complication after their procedures. In the United States, it is estimated that around two hundred thousand people die per year from medical malpractice. Tragically, this is not unusual.
What is unusual, however, is when hospitals charge patients for their own mistakes. That’s exactly what happened with Bella - she received a bill at the end of her stay that included the extra day she’d spent there as a result of complications that were the hospital’s fault.
Bella first tried to handle the situation between herself and the hospital. “I spoke to someone in the nursing department, I explained my concern, and they promised to pass it along to their supervisor,” she recalled. “I later received a letter saying that they were happy I brought this to their attention, but there was nothing they could do.”
Stratospheric administrative costs, drug prices that are much higher than in other developed countries, and excessive physician compensation are often behind extraneous charges on medical bills Such appears to be the case with Bella.
She had tried working with the hospital, but was shut down. Obviously she needed legal help, but hiring an attorney and going to court can be extremely expensive, and there is always the chance that she would not win. Bella needed another option.
A friend suggested Bella look into LegalShield, a member of Group Legal Services Association. LegalShield and other GLSA members provide access to legal services to people like Bella for a monthly membership fee.
“I forwarded them the letter from the hospital, I gave them the details of my hospital stay and what my claim was. They were able to review the letter; they wrote a letter on my behalf and sent it to the hospital saying that they wanted the hospital to cover my entire bill.” The hospital conceded.
J. Keith Tart, the Riggs-Abney attorney who handled Bella’s case, recalled the hospital’s flippant attitude. “They blew her off,” he said. “Here’s this young 23-year-old, and she’s about to suffer this significant debt because of the hospital’s mistake. I was glad to write to them and take them to task.”
“It’s an amazing resource,” Bella said of her experience. “Most people would have just paid the bill without a second thought, or they would have felt defeated about it. But there’s this resource out there that will advocate for you, and that meant so much to me and my family.”
Tart characterized his job in much the same way as Bella. “Our job, as I see it, is to empower LegalShield customers and members to help them do what they need to do.”
Bella’s story shows that group legal services can help to alleviate the “justice gap,” a term used to describe the lack of access to civil legal services for low-income people. In fact, the government estimates that, in 2016, 86% of civil legal needs for America’s poor went unmet.
“It was great to have an advocate,” Bella said. “It would have been a lot of money out of pocket to stand up to the hospital. I didn’t have the resources or the legal know-how to appeal this. LegalShield was able to do the research and be that advocate, and I only had to pay $20 a month for this incredible legal service that ended up saving me a couple thousand dollars.”
Bella is now happy and healthy, and after her year of service ended she re-upped. “I’m so grateful for all of their help and their continuing follow-ups. Even a year later, they’ve called to make sure I’m doing okay, or just to stay in touch.”
“It’s like car insurance. You don’t think you’ll need it until a situation like this comes up. Think about how much you spend on coffee a month. $20 a month for peace of mind? No question.”
For millions of Americans without affordable access to legal advocacy, $20 a month for peace of mind might seem like a fantasy - but thanks to LegalShield and other GLSA members, there is hope the justice gap can be bridged.