They promised that it would be free, but billed patients: in New York, a scandal with tests for COVID-19

Free and readily available COVID-19 testing was more than a political promise to everyone. It has been part of the official strategy of the New York authorities since the beginning of the pandemic. However, New York Attorney General Laetitia James was sent a statement requesting an investigation due to surprise bills for coronavirus tests. NBC New York.

“Take a FREE COVID-19 test and protect your loved ones,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted in August 2020.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Congress also required health insurance companies to cover most of the cost of COVID tests. Congress has demanded that costs not be passed on to clients in a public health emergency. Many health insurance companies have assured clients that all coronavirus tests will be free.

Patient complaints

None of this worked for 64-year-old Jay Filan, a retired librarian from Brooklyn.

Filan suggested that the testing was free. After all, he did several tests at the local pharmacy without having to pay. Then in March of this year, his doctor tested positive for the virus and asked him to have a PCR test. Philan went to a testing site in his Bay Ridge area.

“All I heard was that it was covered by insurance. They didn't tell me anything about any expenses, ”he said.

A few months later, Philan unexpectedly received an invoice for over $ 100. Just a few days ago, he received an e-mail with a "last reminder" to pay the bill "before sending it to the collection officers."

The bill was received from CareCube, a medical group based in Brooklyn. CareCube offers COVID testing at 20 locations in all boroughs in New York City except Staten Island.

On social media, journalists found dozens of patients, such as Filan. They say they feel cheated after receiving bills for the coronavirus tests they requested from CareCube.

Statement to the Attorney General

CareCube defends its right to charge customers for COVID testing. Even for patients whose insurance plans cover them. The company says they are required to conduct a “preliminary assessment ... to make sure the patient is eligible for testing” before taking a swab. And it is for this test, and not for the test itself, that money is supposedly taken.

City Councilor Brad Lander, a city controller candidate, received many complaints from voters. Then, earlier this month, he sent a letter to Attorney General Laetitia James calling for an investigation.

“We ask the attorney general to scrutinize CareCube's methods to make sure they don't mislead the public, overcharge, or unnecessarily discourage testing for COVID-19 during the global health crisis,” he wrote.

"Visit to the clinic"

In Filan's case, CareCube split his bill for “office visits” in addition to the cost of the PCR test itself.

What exactly he had to pay $ 100 for is not clear from the company's account. It only says, "Because your insurance denied our claim, we were unable to receive a refund on your insurance."

Filan said his insurance company, Emblem Health, told him twice by phone that CareCube had the wrong code on the invoice. According to the documents, the company submitted an invoice to the insurance company for a total of $ 325.

Filan's email request for a duplicate invoice with the correct code went unanswered by CareCube for several weeks. Until a journalist from THE CITY made a request for complaints about the wrong code.

On August 14, two days after CareCube received a list of questions from THE CITY, the former librarian received another email from CareCube. The company informed him that his account had been canceled.

Regarding misunderstandings regarding the codes on the invoice, CareCube said the company is "aware of these statements and we are currently working closely with several insurance companies." The statement also argued that the insurers "for this reason, erroneously rejected claims made on behalf of patients."

Covered but still payable

Several CareCube customers have complained that they were being charged a copay for taking COVID tests. Although their insurance clearly states that testing is 100% covered.

James Ellison Jr. also took a PCR test in March with two acquaintances at the CareCube branch in Brooklyn, Seventh Avenue. They wanted to play it safe, as they were expecting guests.

“We contacted CareCube several times and were not presented with an invoice for payment,” Ellison said.

But on his last visit, he said, "This is the first time they asked for a supplement." Although his insurance company, Cigna, covers COVID tests, he was charged $ 40 locally. It was the same with his friends.

“I spoke to Cigna and they told me that I shouldn't pay extra. Collecting surcharges is an overstatement of bills. "

“We believe our costs are fair and comparable to those of other providers,” CareCube said in a statement.

A Cigna spokesperson told Ellison that the insurance company is among the providers that have agreed to cover the full cost of testing COVID-19, without any payments from the patient.

Cigna said it will continue to pay for COVID-19 diagnostic tests "performed by the supplier on or off the network, without cost sharing from the customer."

Allison said he tried to personally hold CareCube to account. But, having visited two different branches in the city, I did not find any managers with whom I could talk. He said he had not received his money back.

"Very disappointed"

Ronnie Almonte, a 32-year-old public school teacher from Brooklyn, is also still hoping to get his money back. In November, he needed a rapid test because he wanted to visit his grandmother in Queens.

Their first meeting since the beginning of the pandemic. His grandfather had died of COVID months earlier.

Almonte also believed that testing was free. But when he walked into the CareCube in South Brooklyn, they told him and his partner to pay $ 125 each.

“I paid for the tests and was very disappointed,” he said.

“I didn’t see the price on the CareCube website, nothing was mentioned about the cost,” the man added.

An archive page from the CareCube website from January 2021, a couple of months after the Almonte test, includes frequently asked questions to ensure clients that insurance covers the tests: “Yes! CareCube accepts most COVID-19 testing coverage as recommended by the CDC. "

Free test only for unvaccinated

Today, the website says that only unvaccinated people get tested for free. And only in the presence of symptoms or "direct contact with confirmed positive cases of COVID."

Testing in the absence of symptoms requires a surcharge, according to the website.

CareCube said in a statement to THE CITY, "We have feedback from individuals who cannot understand the billing and payment rules, so our wording has become more detailed."

“$ 1166,27 payable”

Some customers have seen multiple receipts accumulate on their accounts.

Catherine Yee, a graduate student from Brooklyn, completed two PCR tests at CareCube. The first test was in December 2020 and the second one the next month.

When she looked at the invoice from the insurance company, she was shocked. She saw several listed accounts related to PCR tests. It listed prices ranging from $ 30 to $ 642 for doctor visits and other medical services. According to the documents of the insurance company, only part of the bills were covered by the insurance.

Her stock page still shows outstanding accounts of $ 1.

“These bills kept coming in and I called CareCube and asked, 'What are these expenses?' - she said. CareCube advised her to contact her insurance company, United Health Care.

But there she was sent back to the service provider: "They told me that if I want to dispute these bills, I need to talk to CareCube."

When Yee called CareCube, she was told she could send an email. “They didn't help at all,” she said. CareCube informed her that her insurance "is charged based on the codes displayed for all services rendered."

Yee said that she is very nervous when talking, "This is quite annoying."

A spokesman for United Health Care said the insurer is looking into the situation.

"I demand a return!"

Several clients have declared victory in battles with CareCube.

Kirin Baldwin from Brooklyn visited the CareCube testing site last November. She had mild symptoms of COVID-19. She wanted to play it safe and agreed to pay $ 125 out of pocket for a rapid test.

Rapid test results are usually available within an hour. But the next morning she still had no results. “I called them again and said: 'I paid for this and I want to return the money.' They told me they would inform the manager and contact me, ”Baldwin said.

In the days that followed, she spoke to many people on the phone and filled out an online form, but she never got her money back. It took 26 hours to get the result of the "express test".

“Two months later, I finally got a hilarious response from CareCube,” she said. "They told me I hadn't taken action ahead of time."

At some point, Baldwin decided to try to get the money back on her own. She called the credit card company and explained what had happened.

“They investigated and returned the money to my account,” she said.

Baldwin plans to ditch CareCube for COVID testing in the future.

“They are just trying to make a lot of money from this pandemic,” she said.