70-year-old Michael Flor was admitted to hospital in USA after showing symptoms of COVID-19. He tested positive and was in hospital for 62 days. Coronavirus nearly killed him, but he eventually survived.?
But if the disease did not get him, the bill he got from the hospital may have given him a heart attack. It amounted to $1.1 million, according to Seattle Times as per a report in AFP. He was discharged on May 5 and his bill was 181 pages long!?
Flor is covered by Medicare, a government insurance program specially made for those who are elderly, While he may not have to pay out of his own pocket, he does feel guilty that the taxpayers are paying for his care.?
"It was a million bucks to save my life, and of course I'd say that's money well-spent... But I also know I might be the only one saying that," The Seattle Times quoted him as saying.?
But for a 53-year-old man in India, it was different.?
According to The Hindu, he was admitted for 23 days and his bill came to Rs 20 lakh. But only 7.5 lakh was covered under his insurance.?
So the rest had to be paid from his own pocket.?
Just shows how expensive treatment for COVID-19 is. There have been calls to put a cap on the treatment costs as the world continues to battle this pandemic.? ?
As of now nearly 79 lakh people are affected by the disease that has held the world hostage for the better part of 2020 so far. Also over 432,000 have died.??