An American who was quarantined to check for signs of coronavirus says he's facing more than $2,600 in bills from his government-mandated hospital stay
Frank Wucinski and his 3-year-old daughter Annabel evacuated Wuhan, China, in February and were then quarantined at Marine Corps Station Miramar, near San Diego, for two weeks.
They tested negative for the virus, and when they arrived at Wucinski's mother's house after their quarantine, they were met with $3,900 in bills from hospital doctors, radiologists, and an ambulance company.
The hospital said they billed Wucinski in error, but he still owes $2,598 for the ambulance, and $90 for radiology costs.
He also has to cover the $2,200 costs of his flight back to the US.
An American man and his daughter were quarantined over coronavirus fears for two weeks after they were evacuated from China, and now he says he's facing more than $2,600 in medical bills for his government-mandated hospital stay, according to The New York Times.
Frank Wucinski, a Pennsylvania native who lived and worked in Wuhan, China, and his 3-year-old daughter Annabel, were quarantined at Marine Corps Station Miramar, near San Diego, for two weeks in February after they accepted the US government's offer to be evacuated. His wife, who is not an American citizen, stayed in Wuhan.
During their two-week quarantine at Miramar, Wucinski and his daughter were sent to Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego twice for isolation treatments that lasted three or four days, each ordered by the Centers for Disease Control.
Wucinski and his daughter ultimately tested negative for the virus, but when they got to Wucinski's mother's house after their quarantine, they were greeted with hospital bills from their stays.
They were met with bills adding up to $3,918 from hospital doctors, radiologists, and an ambulance company, according to The Times. Nearly $2,600 is from the ambulance company.
"I assumed it was all being paid for," said Wucinski, whose Chinese insurance from the standardized testing company he works for does not offer coverage in the United States. "We didn't have a choice. When the bills showed up, it was just a pit in my stomach, like, 'How do I pay for this?'"
A spokesman for Rady Children's Hospital told The Times that the hospital charged Wucinski for his stays in error, and removed the costs from his bills. The spokesman said the hospital is investigating the error and is working with the government regarding billing.
But Wucinski still owes $2,598 for the ambulance ride and $90 for radiology costs. He also has to cover the $2,200 cost of his flight to the US.
Wucinski turned to GoFundMe to help cover the costs of his bills and raised $17,930 on the platform. He said he'd be using the leftover funds to buy US medical insurance.
It's unclear if Wucinski's case is unusual or if more quarantined patients are facing rising bills.
The CDC told CBS Sacramento that if patients have healthcare, bills will be submitted to their provider. If a patient does not have healthcare insurance, the government is expected to pay the bills, likely through Medicaid, CBS Sacramento reported.
The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Americans who were evacuated from China would be expected "to sign a promissory note for the cost of the flight, which is expected to be many times the price of a commercial flight from China to the US."