A Texas woman took a urine drug test after back surgery and was hit with a $17,850 lab bill, according to a Kaiser Health News report.
Here are seven things to know about the issue.
1. Elizabeth Moreno, a 30-year-old expectant mother finishing coursework at Texas State University in San Marcos, had back surgery three years ago. Per her surgeon's recommendations, she took an opioid painkiller after the operation, and then followed up with a urine drug test, according to the report.
2. A 2017 bill from Houston-based Sunset Labs and obtained by KHN shows Ms. Moreno was charged a total of $17,850. This amount included $2,975 to test for benzodiazepines, $1,700 to test for amphetamines, $850 to test for methadone and $425 to test for cocaine, among various other charges.
3. Ms. Moreno's insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, said it would not cover the charges since the lab was out-of-network. If the lab was in-network, the insurer said it would have valued the work at just $100.92, according to the report.
4. Ms. Moreno's father, Paul Davis, MD, a retired physician from Ohio, fought the charges. He said in the report Sunset Labs ignored him when he requested a complete explanation of charges. Dr. Davis also accused the lab of "price gouging of staggering proportions" in a complaint filed with the Texas attorney general's office last May, according to the KHN report.
5. A spokesperson for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told the publication: "We have received complaints about that business, but we can't comment on anything else."
6. Lab attorney Justo Mendez told KHN in a statement: Sunset's charges "are in line with the charges of competing out-of-network labs in the geographical area."
7. Dr. Davis said he ultimately settled the bill for $5,000 in April, according to the report.
Read the full KHN report here.
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