A man in Las Vegas who thought he was covered under his state’s Obamacare exchange just learned — after having a heart attack — he wasn’t, and he’s now been stuck with the $400,000-plus medical bill.
Larry Basich, 62, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he signed up for Obamacare months ago, using his state’s Internet exchange site. He selected UnitedHealthcare in November, and said he called repeatedly to confirm that he was in fact enrolled —and then he even paid for it.
Mr. Basich said he never received written notification of his coverage, but that Nevada Health Link officials told him on the phone not to worry, that he was enrolled, The Blaze reported.
He then had a heart attack and underwent a triple bypass surgery.
Much to his surprise, he then learned that he wasn’t insured — and that he was going to be responsible for the full cost of his medical treatments.
Fox News reported that the contractor for the state exchange, called Xerox, “reportedly tried to assign Basich’s bills to another insurance plan, but that plan is refusing to accept them. Basich’s insurance broker also complained that Xerox is spending a lot of time lawyering up and documenting all of Basich’s communications.”
The contractor, however, said to the Las Vegas Review-Journal that it’s trying to work out the situation with Mr. Basich.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.