Hospitals in Illinois and Texas have mistakenly billed some patients for COVID-19 vaccines, according to local news stations.
Carle Health in Urbana, Ill., said about 30 uninsured patients were billed $55 for the vaccine, according to WAND-TV. The health system said it was a result of an error in its billing process that it quickly worked to fix.
The Illinois health system said it is reaching out to affected patients directly to inform them about the error.
"Carle provides care to all who need it and believe concerns about the cost of healthcare should not stop anyone from receiving it," Kayla Banks, vice president of women’s and children’s services for Carle Health, told WAND-TV. "Today, we’re extending this commitment by again sharing with patients and our communities that Carle will not bill patients directly for the COVID-19 vaccine."
Additionally, clinics run by Baylor College of Medicine mistakenly billed some patients for the COVID-19 vaccine, according to ABC 13.
One patient, Aaron Parks, who spoke to ABC 13 said he received a bill of $79 from the hospital after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. A second patient, Tarron Hilliard, received a $91 bill from the hospital after getting the vaccine.
A spokesperson for Houston-based Baylor College of Medicine declined to say how many patients received bills in error, but that it is working to notify patients who received statements for the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the report.
"BCM policy is to bill insurance companies the allowed vaccine administration fee, but not to bill patients. A billing system error resulted in some patients being billed for the COVID-19 vaccine. This has been corrected and affected patients are being refunded," the spokesperson told ABC 13.