Seattle man, 70, receives a $1.1MILLION hospital bill for coronavirus treatment featuring nearly 3,000 itemized charges - and he feels 'guilty' that taxpayers will pick up the cost
A Seattle man who spent two months in hospital battling COVID-19 has been billed $1.12 million for his treatment.
Michael Flor, 70, was admitted to Swedish Medical Center in Issaquah on March 4 after testing positive for the coronavirus. He spent 62 days in the facility, before making a miraculous recovery.
After his release on May 6, Flor thought the harrowing experience was behind him - until he was hit with the 181-page bill.
'I opened it and said 'Holy s**t!' ' Flor told The Seattle Times Saturday.
The bill features nearly 3,000 itemized charges, which evens out to around 50 for each day of his stay.
In total, he was billed $408,912 for 42 days spent in an intensive care room equipped with a special isolation chamber and $82,215 for ventilator use that lasted 29 days.
Flor is pictured leaving the Swedish Medical Center in Issaquah on May 6 after making a miraculous recovery
Flor is pictured with his wife during a TV interview following his recovery. He says he was left stunned by the $1.1 million bill he received for his treatment
The Seattle Times reports that 'for the two days when Flor's heart, kidneys and lungs were all failing and he was nearest death' doctors spent nearly $100,000 on treatments to try prevent him from passing away.
Nearly a quarter of the $1.12 million bill was made up of drug costs.
As Flor has insurance, almost all of the charges will likely be picked up by the taxpayer due to special financial rules special financial rules put in place by Congress amid COVID-19.
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, both enacted in April, require that 'private health issuers and employer group health plans cover COVID-19 testing and services furnished during the pandemic, with no out-of-pocket expense'.
Flor is pictured in hospital. He was billed $408,912 for 42 days spent in an intensive care room equipped with a special isolation chamber and $82,215 for ventilator use that lasted 29 days
As Flor has insurance, almost all of the charges will likely be picked up by the taxpayer due to special financial rules special financial rules put in place by Congress amid COVID-19
Pictured: The Swedish Medical Center in Issaquah, Washington where Flor received two months of treatment
'Congress set aside more than $100 billion to help hospitals and insurance companies defray the costs of the pandemic,' according to The Seattle Times.
The publication further reports that 'the insurance industry has estimated treatment costs for COVID-19 could top $500 billion, so Congress is being asked to step up with more money.'
Meanwhile, it's unlikely that Flor will even have to pay his Medicare Advantage policy's out-of-pocket charges, which The Times says 'could have amounted to $6,000'.
More than 2 million Americans have tested positive to the COVID-19, and while a vast majority of those have recovered at home, hundreds of thousands have been hospitalized.
The average cost to treat a hospitalized patient with the coronavirus is $30,000, according to America's Health Insurance Plans.
Flor says his excessive medical bill has left him feeling 'guilty'.
'I feel guilty about surviving... Why did I deserve all this? Looking at the incredible cost of it all definitely adds to that survivor's guilt.,' he stated.
'It was a million bucks to save my life, and of course I'd say that's money well-spent,' he told The Times.
'But I also know I might be the only one saying that.'
Flor is pictured with family members and nurses following his release from hospital
Seattle man, 70, receives a $1.1MILLION hospital bill for coronavirus treatment featuring nearly 3,000 itemized charges - and he feels 'guilty' that taxpayers will pick up the cost
![Seattle man, 70, receives a $1.1MILLION hospital bill for coronavirus treatment featuring nearly 3,000 itemized charges - and he feels 'guilty' that taxpayers will pick up the cost]()
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June 14, 2020
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