Why Don't We Know, Before We Go?

Christine is a student currently pursuing a nursing degree, but has unfortunately had personal experiences with a health care system that does not seem to provide for her or understand her.  

In 2021 Christine was staying in Utah when she became very sick and required treatment at a children’s hospital out of state. Due to the severity of her condition and the urgency required, she was sent via ground ambulance across state lines on an hours-long journey to the hospital where she received the necessary surgery. 

A lack of transparency and consistent communication meant that Christine’s parents, who were out of the country at the time, did not feel they fully understood the care she was receiving or how much everything would cost.  

“My parents got a surprise bill about two to three months later, a bill of more than $5,000 from the ground ambulance transportation. And it really at the time was a huge financial toll on my family.”  

The hospital also did not provide an interpreter who could coordinate with Christine’s parents in Chinese, their first language. They weren’t aware that the ground ambulance would not be covered by insurance, and with all the required follow-up care, Chrstine’s family accumulated significant medical debt, “an additional stress added on to my family.”   

Surprise medical bills impact millions of individuals and families in the United States, sending some into debt from which it may take years to recover. The No Surprises Act (NSA) went into effect two years ago and has provided protections to keep surprise bills from coming out of your wallet. Advocates like Families USA are fighting to keep the NSA intact, and are also pushing to expand federal protections to include out-of-network ground ambulance bills, and bills in urgent care facilities. The federal government must do more to protect families like Christine’s.

Christine lent her voice to #SincerelyUs, a new social media storytelling campaign that brings to light the real-life struggles of individuals and families within the U.S. health care system. Learn more about #SincerelyUs.