Home CORONA Coronavirus survival comes with a $1.1 million, 181-page price tag

Coronavirus survival comes with a $1.1 million, 181-page price tag

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Coronavirus survival comes with a $1.1 million, 181-page price tag
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By Danny Westneat 

Seattle Times columnist

Remember Michael Flor, the longest-hospitalized COVID-19 patient who, when he unexpectedly did not die, was jokingly dubbed “the miracle child?”

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Now they can also call him the million-dollar baby.

Flor, 70, who came so close to death in the spring that a night-shift nurse held a phone to his ear while his wife and kids said their final goodbyes, is recovering nicely these days at his home in West Seattle. But he says his heart almost failed a second time when he got the bill from his health care odyssey the other day.

“I opened it and said ‘holy [bleep]!’ “ Flor says.

The total tab for his bout with the coronavirus: $1.1 million. $1,122,501.04, to be exact. All in one bill that’s more like a book because it runs to 181 pages.

Michael Flor battled with coronavirus for 62 days at Swedish Issaquah. His stay makes him the longest coronavirus patient at a Swedish hospital. (Ramon Dompor / The Seattle Times)

The bill is technically an explanation of charges, and because Flor has insurance including Medicare, he won’t have to pay the vast majority of it. In fact because he had COVID-19, and not a different disease, he might not have to pay anything — a quirk of this situation I’ll get to in a minute.

But for now it’s got him and his family and friends marveling at the extreme expense, and bizarre economics, of American health care.

Note: TheBengaluruLive has reproduced the story from https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/inspiring-story-of-seattle-mans-coronavirus-survival-comes-with-a-1-1-million-dollar-hospital-bill/

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