(Korea Times 4-21-09)
Reporter Dae-Yong Jung
Mr. Kim, a 40 year old Korean American, couldn't believe it when he received his hospitalization and surgery bill from the local hospital. He had been hospitalized for 3 days to treat his acute appendicitis, and he was billed $40,000. Mr Kim, who lacks health insurance and any major income-producing job, doesn't know where to start to pay this bill.
33% of Korean Americans are uninsured, the highest among minority groups in the U.S. When they receive emergency care without health insurance, the costs skyrocket and it's hard to pay with cash.
The treatment of appendicitis, known as one of the simplest of surgeries, costs tens of thousands of dollars just for the surgery, and treating a fracture may surpass $10,000. Some uninsured Korean Americans fail to pay their bills on time and get haunted by collection agencies and ruin their credit scores.
Professionals in the know explain however that a wise use of "Charity Care" programs, in which the government pays on behalf of the low-income, can help ease the burden of paying for the bills.
Los Angeles County provides the programs of ORSA, ATP, and PPA for low-income uninsured community members. ORSA is outpatient bills under $10,000; if the person resides in LA County and has an income of $1,201 per month (for families of 3), the government will cover 100% of the costs. ATP is similar to ORSA in income guidelines but covers in-patient bills. Through PPP, the patient pays one tenth of the bill and the rest is covered through the county government.
Yanghee Park, Health Access Service Coordinator at the Korean Resource Center, said "there are various charity programs for low-income uninsured community members. You may get these benefits by consulting with the social worker at the hospital that treated you."
If your income is higher than the required income levels, you can consult with your hospital. Esther Jang, the Korean American community outreach manager at the Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital, suggested "don't panic just because the bill is so high; explain your economic situation in detail to the hospital and you may get a bill adjustment."
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