The 2005 Violence Against Women Act prohibits sexual assault victims from footing the bill for a sexual assault forensic exam, but it does not protect the victim from getting the bill for other treatment rendered during the same hospital visit.
“Any hospital in the greater Kansas City, Kansas side, Missouri side, doesn’t matter, any of those hospitals reserves the right to bill for medical care related to sexual assault,” said Jen Green with Saint Luke’s Health System.
That care could be medical exams and lab work to test for pregnancy, STDs or HIV. It could also be treatment provided for injuries sustained from the assault.
“Let’s say a victim of sexual violence perhaps receives another type of injury during the sexual assault, say a broken arm or a bruised face. The victim may be charged by the facility conducted the sexual assault forensic exam for services related to the x-ray or the setting of a cask on a broken arm,” said Angie Blumel of the rape crisis center MOCSA, or Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault.
Blumel says the experience of receiving such a bill can be painful for a victim.
“It’s number one a reminder of the sexual assault that occurred. It can bring back that trauma from the sexual assault so it can be really difficult,” she said.
Saint Luke’s Health System says it does not charge sexual assault victim’s for any service when they come in for a forensic exam. If victim’s compensation funds don’t cover the bill, the bill gets waived.
“We don’t believe that a person who has had this experience should then be burdened with additional cost associated with the care that’s provided for sexual assault,” said Green. “We don’t want that to be a deterrent for seeking care and seeking help for something like this regardless of whether or not that want to notify law enforcement or not.”
But how hospitals seek and receive reimbursement varies by hospital and state.
Children's Mercy Hospital
The only time the family of a child victim of sexual abuse/assaults should receive a charge is if a medical condition separate from the assault was found (eg. The child also had an ear infection). There is a state reimbursement system for sexual abuse of both children and adults through the MO department of Public Safety. In Kansas, bills for the evaluation of sexual abuse/assault are reimbursed by the counties. Thus, patients and insurance are not billed for these evaluations.
Kansas University Hospital
The hospital charges for all services provided, but there are programs in MO and KS to help cover emergency room costs related to rape cases including radiology and lab charges, etc. Billing for these charges is as follows: If the assault/rape was in Kansas, we submit a bill to the prosecuting attorney office of whichever country the assault/rape occurred. If the assault/rape was in Missouri, we submit a bill to the State (Jeff City). If the prosecuting attorney office in Kansas, or State of Missouri cover the bill, we will write off any amounts left unpaid. “Covering” the bill does not mean they pay for everything, nor do they pay a lot. It just means the case qualifies for payment under their programs and pays at a rate determined by their respective programs.
Truman Medical Center
If patient's income is 200% or less of national poverty line, the hospital waives all fees. If above, Truman works with the patient during the application process to various victim compensation funding and assistance.
HCA (Research, CenterPoint): Unavailable for comment, per hospital spokesperson.
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Brian Abel can be reached at brian.abel@kshb.com.
