(The Center Square) – A California father was shocked when the bill for an ambulance for his daughter doubled after adding his insurance, which he says is because of a new state law that punishes him for having coverage.
Social media star and California father Robby Witt recorded his heated call with a billing department after he added his insurance information to save money.
Initially billed $603.34 as an assumed uninsured patient, Witt added his insurance details, resulting in his out-of-pocket bill more than doubling to $1,263.29.
“The first invoice you received, that’s a discount you received if you’re uninsured so you’re not eligible for the discount since you are insured,” said the billing department representative. “The bill was $2,342.14. We billed your insurance. Your insurance only paid $1,078.85.”
When Witt asked if he can get the discount if he canceled his insurance, he was told that he had active coverage on the date of service.
“So I’ll get cheaper health care if I’m uninsured,” retorted Witt. “I pay for insurance, and I end up paying more out of pocket because I pay for a premium. That’s wild.”
The billing department representative explained California’s Assembly Bill 716 requires that uninsured patients receive a discounted rate.
Under AB 716, uninsured patients must be billed the same low ambulance rate as the greater of that charged to taxpayer-funded Medi-Cal or Medicare programs. The bill also requires that out-of-pocket costs for insured patients using ambulances be the same for the patient whether the ambulance provider is in network or out of network.
Witt’s out-of-pocket bill doubled both because of the initial uninsured discount and the high cost-sharing of his plan.
By choosing a lower-premium, higher cost-sharing plan to save money, Witt is stuck paying for both insurance and high costs, which he suggested could have been avoided by having no insurance at all.
“If I want to pay less for medical care, I should cancel my insurance?” asked Witt.
“I don’t know sir, if you should cancel your insurance,” said the representative. “I’m just letting you know the discount is only for patients who are uninsured.”
