In 2019, emergency medicine physician and historian Luke Messac was working as a medical resident. He had heard about hospitals suing their own patients over unpaid medical bills, so he decided to investigate whether the hospitals where he worked were doing the same.
It turns out they were.
“The care I was delivering to patients was resulting in them showing up in court, or having their wages garnished, or signing up for a payment plan that they would be paying for the better part of a decade,” said Messac.
“In 2016, Emily Peters became, as she puts it, a “statistic in the maternal health mortality crisis.” While giving birth to her daughter, she had an amniotic fluid embolism, a rare and life-threatening complication that landed her in the intensive care unit.”
“Last year, Jennifer Reisz’s college-age daughter, Megan, was kicked in the chest multiple times by the family’s horse. Megan fell to the ground, unable to move or speak. Though she was alone, her Apple Watch detected her distress and called 911.
Vitamins are a common over-the-counter (OTC) product purchased by people to maintain good health. And while many vitamins and supplements do have health benefits, vitamins do not automatically qualify as an eligible medical expense under IRS rules. This makes purchasing them with a flexible spending account (FSA) or health savings account (HSA) tricky. But, you can buy your vitamins with FSA and HSA funds if certain criteria is met.
Soon, you may be able to step out on your front porch and wait for your prescription medication to drop from the sky.
