Watch: What Happened To That $500K Dialysis Bill

August 6, 2019

After Sovereign Valentine suffered kidney failure, he got a $540,842 bill for 14 weeks of out-of-network dialysis care. Here, he and his wife, Dr. Jessica Valentine, described their experience. Their Bill of the Month story was told by KHN, NPR and CBS.

Bill Of The Month

First Kidney Failure, Then A $540,842 Bill For Dialysis
Watch: Out-Of-Network Outrage After A $540K Charge For Dialysis
They May Owe Nothing — Half-Million-Dollar Dialysis Bill Canceled

This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Copy And Paste To Republish This Story

Watch: What Happened To That $500K Dialysis Bill

August 6, 2019

Article HTML

<h1>Watch: What Happened To That $500K Dialysis Bill</h1><p></p>
<p>After Sovereign Valentine suffered kidney failure, he got a $540,842 bill for 14 weeks of out-of-network dialysis care. Here, he and his wife, Dr. Jessica Valentine, described their experience. Their <a href="https://californiahealthline.org/news/first-kidney-failure-then-a-540842-bill-for-dialysis/">Bill of the Month</a> story was told by KHN, NPR and CBS.</p>
				<aside class="related related-slab inline">
											<div class="slab related-slab ">
													<h3>
					<a href="/news/tag/bill-of-the-month">
		Bill Of The Month			</a>
			</h3>
<div class="slab-container">	<ul>
			<li class="has-thumbnail">
		<a href="https://californiahealthline.org/news/first-kidney-failure-then-a-540842-bill-for-dialysis/">
			<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="170" height="113" src="https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine1_1350.jpg?w=170&h=113&crop=1" class="img-sm img-sidebar hidden-md wp-post-image" alt="" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1" srcset="https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine1_1350.jpg 1350w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine1_1350.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine1_1350.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine1_1350.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine1_1350.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine1_1350.jpg?resize=770,513 770w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine1_1350.jpg?resize=840,560 840w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine1_1350.jpg?resize=570,380 570w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine1_1350.jpg?resize=370,247 370w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine1_1350.jpg?resize=270,180 270w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine1_1350.jpg?resize=170,113 170w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine1_1350.jpg?resize=100,67 100w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine1_1350.jpg?resize=120,80 120w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine1_1350.jpg?resize=1170,780 1170w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine1_1350.jpg?resize=500,333 500w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine1_1350.jpg?resize=200,134 200w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine1_1350.jpg?resize=315,210 315w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine1_1350.jpg?resize=630,420 630w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine1_1350.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 170px) 100vw, 170px" />			<p>
				First Kidney Failure, Then A $540,842 Bill For Dialysis				<span aria-hidden="true" class="date-published">		<time class="posted-on" datetime="2019-07-25T02:00:36-07:00">
			Jul 25		</time>
		</span>
			</p>
		</a>
	</li>
	<li class="has-thumbnail">
		<a href="https://californiahealthline.org/news/watch-out-of-network-outrage-after-a-540k-charge-for-dialysis/">
			<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="170" height="113" src="https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Libby_CBS_072519.jpg?w=170&h=113&crop=1" class="img-sm img-sidebar hidden-md wp-post-image" alt="" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1" srcset="https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Libby_CBS_072519.jpg 1350w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Libby_CBS_072519.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Libby_CBS_072519.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Libby_CBS_072519.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Libby_CBS_072519.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Libby_CBS_072519.jpg?resize=770,513 770w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Libby_CBS_072519.jpg?resize=840,560 840w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Libby_CBS_072519.jpg?resize=570,380 570w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Libby_CBS_072519.jpg?resize=370,247 370w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Libby_CBS_072519.jpg?resize=270,180 270w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Libby_CBS_072519.jpg?resize=170,113 170w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Libby_CBS_072519.jpg?resize=100,67 100w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Libby_CBS_072519.jpg?resize=120,80 120w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Libby_CBS_072519.jpg?resize=1170,780 1170w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Libby_CBS_072519.jpg?resize=500,333 500w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Libby_CBS_072519.jpg?resize=200,134 200w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Libby_CBS_072519.jpg?resize=315,210 315w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Libby_CBS_072519.jpg?resize=630,420 630w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Libby_CBS_072519.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 170px) 100vw, 170px" />			<p>
				Watch: Out-Of-Network Outrage After A $540K Charge For Dialysis				<span aria-hidden="true" class="date-published">		<time class="posted-on" datetime="2019-07-25T08:05:01-07:00">
			Jul 25		</time>
		</span>
			</p>
		</a>
	</li>
	<li class="has-thumbnail">
		<a href="https://californiahealthline.org/news/bill-of-the-month-half-million-dollar-kidney-dialysis-bill-fresenius-now-zero/">
			<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="170" height="113" src="https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine5_1350.jpg?w=170&h=113&crop=1" class="img-sm img-sidebar hidden-md wp-post-image" alt="" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1" srcset="https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine5_1350.jpg 1350w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine5_1350.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine5_1350.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine5_1350.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine5_1350.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine5_1350.jpg?resize=770,513 770w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine5_1350.jpg?resize=840,560 840w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine5_1350.jpg?resize=570,380 570w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine5_1350.jpg?resize=370,247 370w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine5_1350.jpg?resize=270,180 270w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine5_1350.jpg?resize=170,113 170w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine5_1350.jpg?resize=100,67 100w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine5_1350.jpg?resize=120,80 120w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine5_1350.jpg?resize=1170,780 1170w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine5_1350.jpg?resize=500,333 500w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine5_1350.jpg?resize=200,134 200w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine5_1350.jpg?resize=315,210 315w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine5_1350.jpg?resize=630,420 630w, https://californiahealthline.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/07/Valentine5_1350.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 170px) 100vw, 170px" />			<p>
				They May Owe Nothing — Half-Million-Dollar Dialysis Bill Canceled				<span aria-hidden="true" class="date-published">		<time class="posted-on" datetime="2019-07-26T07:02:43-07:00">
			Jul 26		</time>
		</span>
			</p>
		</a>
	</li>
	</ul>
	<div class="link-button">
		<a href="/news/tag/bill-of-the-month" class="btn btn-default btn-block">
			Read More		</a>
	</div>
	</div>						</div>
									</aside>

We encourage organizations to republish our content, free of charge. Here’s what we ask:

You must credit us as the original publisher, with a hyperlink to our californiahealthline.org site. If possible, please include the original author(s) and “California Healthline” in the byline. Please preserve the hyperlinks in the story.

Have questions? Let us know.

From The California Health Care Foundation

CalAIM CalAIM in Focus

Explore CHCF’s collection of tools and resources aimed at helping organizations understand and implement CalAIM.

People Experiencing Homelessness Homelessness & Health Care Resource Center

Explore resources from CHCF that help health care, homeless services providers, government, and other systems work together so people are housed and healthy.

Health Policy Survey The 2024 CHCF California Health Policy Survey

Conducted in fall 2023, this survey collected Californian adults’ opinions and experiences on various health care topics, including mental health, medical debt, racial equity, and more.

Related Topics