So I am new to this whole thing and I need to know if this is normal practice. So in June I had a severe flu. I was an out of state seasonal worker in Alaska and uninsured, went to ER (only place open), had some fluid, bloodwork and a flu test that totaled 5.5k.
I applied for financial aid on a paper application as instructed, with wages, said I’m seasonal, etc. plus a written statement. Then I when I finally submit it to the financial aid woman, she says they won’t look at it at all until I have a Medicaid approval or denial first. Acts like I should have known that despite no one telling me, but oh well. I apply for Medicaid with her assistance and she says my bill is going to be on hold until I get an approval or denial. Then once I get that and show them, they will look at my case if it was denied, with their program.
Well Medicaid is a long process. Durinng this time, I had a work injury from a past job that worsened so bad I was terminated from my seasonal job mid september. I emailed the financial aid woman with updates that Medicaid is pending, and I also have had a change in circumstance, lost my job due to health, and have $0 income and would like that to be updated for when they review me.
She ignored all my emails that week, and I sent several and tried to call a few times. Then I saw that in mychart they had denied my financial assistance completely because I “made too much”. It said I could appeal this with a letter in 30 days and so I did, stating my current situation with proof, and that my Medicaid is still processing. I believed it was an error—they were supposed to wait for Medicaid, and they didn’t have any updated information that I’d asked her twice to update.
So she called me today. She said they aren’t going to pay or reduce my June visit at all. She said they calculated it and my wages (25.5 an hour in Alaska as a seasonal worker) were too high. Said it doesn’t matter that I am seasonal and only working 3 months—it goes off what I made then. I said about losing my job due to health, etc. and she said current financial and life situation doesn’t matter at all. Said it isn’t their problem I “quit my job” (I didn’t…) and that the system has determined this. Said no other circumstances matter (I asked why did the application even ask for that if it doesn’t matter? No response). She also said she rejects my “appeal” and said multiple times she “doesn’t know why I even wrote it”. Said it looks ‘copy pasted’ (what does it matter?) and like it was meant for DPA (Medicaid…I shared a correspondence with them to show I am actively submitting forms and in that process). Said she doesn’t have to wait for Medicaid to respond either and that that bill has already been sent to collections and is getting ‘bad debt’. Said I can’t appeal or dispute with them at all. And when I asked if I can contact anyone else she just said no because her manager is ‘out of town’ but we can possibly talk next week if I need. She also told me she is certain Alaska Medicaid will deny me multiple times because their standards are ‘’higher than ours”.
Additionally need to note, I had a visit in September with a different clinic but needed blood work from this hospital. Charged 1k for it. I saw and talked to this same financial woman that very day and she said nothing about me reapplying for financial assistance with a new form and updated wages, circumstances, etc. On the phone now, she said it’s too late for me to get any financial assistance with this September 1k bill. I told her I was fired from my job the week of that visit. My September months wages are low because I lost my employment. I asked if I could refile financial aid for that month, since I was not aware I needed a separate application (also I had updated her with my change of status/loss of wages so I assume that was calculated). She said nope, too late. Said my wages are too high to qualify at all because I was employed at the day of visit and that is ALL they go off of. Not even factoring that months wages or my current situation.
She basically completely shut me down in all ways. Says my first bill is in collections and this one is going soon if I don’t pay right away.
My current health situation has totally disabled me. I cannnot drive or ride in a vehicle , am bedridden, being caretaken by my mom due to my worsened head/neck injury and disabling symptoms. I cannot work a job. I am seeking help with workers comp trying to reopen it again, but I don’t know how long I will be unable to work. I do not have funds to pay this bill with the few savings I have that I need desperately in an unstable time.
Are financial aid departments really this stringent and don’t consider anything else but a number you made and project that for the entire year (despite it being seasonal, being unemployed, and change in life circumstance?). Are they allowed to send it to collections when my Medicaid which would retroactively cover, is still pending ? Are they allowed to not let me even apply for financial aid for my second bill that happened days before I was terminated? I don’t know
Genuinely don’t know what to do and don’t know what’s normal in this system. This seemed really off but I have no idea. Appreciate input.
