New Delhi: A bizarre incident has come to light after a woman from Brooklyn, New York, recently shared on Twitter that her sister was charged $40 “for crying” during a doctor’s visit. Camille Johnson, a 25-year-old content creator, tweeted a picture of her sister’s medical bill. Johnson said that her sister was not evaluated despite being charged $40 for "brief emotional or behavioural assessment", The Independent reported. She told The Independent that the doctor at the unnamed healthcare facility saw her sister crying and did nothing to help.
“They did not evaluate her for depression or other mental illnesses, nor did they discuss her mental health with her,” Johnson said.
“She never talked to a specialist, was not referred to anyone, not prescribed anything, and they did nothing to assist with her mental health,” she added.
Johnson’s tweet has since gained more than 340k likes and 55k retweets.
“My little sister has been really struggling with a health condition lately and finally got to see a doctor. They charged her $40 for crying,” she tweeted.
The various costs of the doctor’s visit included a vision assessment test priced at $20, hemoglobin test at $15, a capillary blood draw for $30 and a preventative health screening which cost $350.
Johnson was, however, astonished to see the $40 charge for a “brief emotional/behavioral assessment”. Her younger sister was luckily covered by her father’s insurance plan, which helped in paying for the medical services.
“She has a rare disease so she’s been really struggling to find care. She got emotional because she feels frustrated and helpless. One tear in and they charged her $40 without addressing why she is crying, trying to help, doing any evaluation, any prescription, nothing,” Johnson tweeted.
“They charged her more for crying than they did for a vision assessment test. They charged her more for crying than for a hemoglobin test. They charged her more for crying than for a health risk assessment They charged her more for crying than for a capilary blood draw,” she wrote on the micro-blogging platform.
Stating the healthcare system in the United States is predatory and exploitative, Johnson said that her heart breaks for everyone who has gone through something similar.
“My little sister and I are so overwhelmed with the kindness you all have shown since my tweet from yesterday. The healthcare system in the United States is predatory and exploitative and my heart breaks for everyone who has gone through something similar. Let’s fight for reform!” she wrote on the micro-blogging platform.
A brief emotional/behavioral assessment, according to The Independent, is a mental health screening identified by healthcare professionals with CPT code 96127.
Earlier in September last year, a woman’s medical bill also went viral on Twitter when she was charged an extra $11 for “Brief Emotion” during a mole removal.