New York – A British couple who were slapped with a $200,000 medical bill when their child was born prematurely can now breathe easy after the matter led to unprecedented public outpouring. Lee Jonson and Katie Amos were vacationing in New York, when the incident happened, 11-weeks before the anticipated due-date. The couple was hard pressed to seek medical attention at a US hospital, even though they had previous indicated their misgivings about the cost of healthcare in the US.
Their fears, however, came to fruition when Doctors at Lenox Hill Hospital, told them that their newborn, 3lb baby named Dax will remain at the hospital’s ICU for close monitoring. The hospital officials then intimated that the baby’s hospital bill could hit a staggering amount of $200,000. Tucked some 3,000 miles away from home, the couple had little support system. However, Richard Crow, a family friend came to their rescue by setting a fundraising website linked to a Facebook page.
Crow’s efforts netted $10,000, to assist the couple stay in New York as they awaited their baby’s clearance. The story had earlier captured public imagination, a factor that greatly embarrassed the hospital and shammed the US healthcare system.
The outcry that ensued proved brought great reprieved to the parents, as the hospital was forced to release a toned-down clarification notice on January 2, 2015. Although the US is home to some of the best doctors and healthcare system word-wide, its healthcare remains the priciest in developed world.