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Anna Davis Abel’s insurance company pledged to cover COVID-19 testing without cost sharing, but then left her to pay a big bill.
Davis Abel got help thanks to a viral tweet — and from a reporter who reached out to and prodded her insurance company. But her story exposes gaps in the protections Congress put in place to make coronavirus testing more affordable for consumers with health coverage.
In Episode 4, we tell that story, then dive into the generous, moving and complicated ways people responded to Davis Abel’s tweet. There is a happy ending, but even with everybody doing their absolute best, things got uncomfortable ― even painful ― for Davis Abel along the way.
Her story, which is also featured in the latest NPR-KHN “Bill of the Month” installment, gets to the heart of dealing with the cost of health care — especially in the world of COVID-19 and the internet.
Has anything weird happened with your bills related to coronavirus testing or treatment? Please tell us about it.
“SEASON-19” of “An Arm and a Leg” is a co-production of Kaiser Health News and Public Road Productions.
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This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.Some elements may be removed from this article due to republishing restrictions. If you have questions about available photos or other content, please contact khnweb@kff.org.