Woman Charged For Screws After Surgery

Judy Copeland is no stranger to surgeries, so when she needed hand surgery she knew how to make sure her insurance would cover it. This time around, though, she was met with a nasty surprise.

“This is an expense that some people might not have the money to pay, and they are not aware of,” said Copeland.

She needed to get hand surgery because of her arthritis, and shortly after she started getting bills from a company she had never heard of called Access Mediquip.

After investigating, Copeland found out the company made the screws doctors put in her hand.

Access Mediquip, out of Illinois, told Copeland it never got paid in full.

“I had talked to the doctor, talked to the surgical center, and they said everything was covered,” said Copeland.

Copeland said Access Mediquip refused to file a claim with her secondary provider, TriCare. She and her husband had to maneuver that maze on their own, only to find out the screws would not be covered because they were apparently out of network.

“We called the company that made them and they never told us. The doctor’s office never told us. The surgical center didn’t tell us,” said Copeland.

The woman wants you to know that insurance companies are looking for more than what kind of surgery you are getting and who is doing it.

“Before you have any surgeries done, make sure they tell you where all the stuff is coming from,” said Copeland.

If it isn’t the right brand you could end up footing the bill.

Copeland did end up paying the $200, and she said it’s not about the money, but about how everything came down.

Access Mediquip has not told KRDO Newschannel13 if this type of problem is common in their company or why they would not file a claim for the Copeland family.