When Sara McLin took her son to HCA Florida Lutz Emergency (a free-standing emergency department) after he burned his hand, a doctor referred them to a burn center an hour and a half away because the burns needed a higher level of care.
McLin was told she would not be charged for the visit to the separate emergency department since they did not provide treatment.
However, HCA sent McLin’s 4-year-old son a bill for the separate emergency department anyway and told her that McLin couldn’t dispute because her name was not on the bill, leading her family into a Kafkaesque maze involving the hospital and HCA’s own collections agency.
Read more from Kaiser Health News’ in-depth story.