logo
welcome
NBC News

NBC News

They're middle-class and insured. Childbirth still left them with crippling debt.

NBC News
Summary
Nutrition label

81% Informative

The Hurleys ' income was too high to qualify for Medicaid in Illinois , where they live.

Their insurance plan — provided through Jimmy ’s union — has an out-of-pocket maximum of $ 28,500 for in-network services.

Experts say systemic failures in the private insurance system cause the Hurleys to acquire giant bills after childbirth.

The Hurleys were left responsible for nearly $11,500 , of which they have paid around $3,300 .

The family’s high medical bills stemmed, in part, from the nature of their insurance plan.

The Affordable Care Act mandates that insurers cover maternity care and caps in-network out-of-pocket maximum for a family at $ 18,900 .

The Munges pay $ 1,300 -per-month premiums for an insurance plan with a $ 3,000 in-network deductible and a $ 12,500 out-of-pocket maximum.

They still owe nearly $4,000 for treatment for Becky ’s bone infection at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester , Minnesota .

Wesley Bruce and Ashley Perez's insurance plan had a $ 7,000 deductible.

VR Score

84

Informative language

82

Neutral language

74

Article tone

informal

Language

English

Language complexity

43

Offensive language

not offensive

Hate speech

not hateful

Attention-grabbing headline

not detected

Known propaganda techniques

not detected

Time-value

short-lived

Affiliate links

no affiliate links