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DENVER — Elizabeth Sanjuan has called Colorado home for two decades. But for the first time this year, she was diagnosed with altitude sickness.
She didn't know what it was at first. She had a horrible headache and felt tired, so she decided to go to St. Anthony Summit Medical Center near her home in Frisco.
At the hospital, she said the doctor called for a CT scan and bloodwork. Sanjuan received the bill a couple weeks later and said she was shocked. A breakdown of the charges showed the CT scan was $8,963.
"I need to be my own advocate and ask these questions, and I feel it’s the hospital’s responsibility to give a transparent answer – an honest answer – as to how they come up with these calculations," said Sanjuan.
Sanjuan wanted to know how the hospital arrived at that price because she thought it seemed high. But she said she has yet to get a clear explanation. She recently had a CT scan in Florida and said the bill was $800, but she only owed $10 after insurance.
"They said that they can’t view how things are priced out so they just deal with the back-end of patients getting their bills. So, that’s why they have to forward it to someone else," said Sanjuan.
A spokesperson for Centura Health said their account team has reached out to the patient to work through any concerns. Sanjuan said a representative contacted her but the bill remains the same.
