US EditionMassachusetts Woman Gets Bat Stuck In Her Mouth, Then Gets Stuck With $21K Medical Bill
COCONINO COUNTY, ARIZONA, JUL 31 – Kahn faced nearly $21,000 in medical bills after a bat exposure led to rabies treatment and insurance delays due to her temporary lapse in coverage, experts say.
- During a Glen Canyon National Recreation Area vacation last August, Erica Kahn, 33-year-old Massachusetts tourist, had part of a wild bat fly into her mouth, leading to nearly $21,000 in rabies treatment.
- Kahn let her COBRA plan lapse after being laid off, then bought a new policy with a 30-day waiting period that denied her claims.
- Travel medicine specialist David Shlim said that a bat landing in her mouth represented one of the most direct rabies exposures imaginable, with hospital charges reaching $17,079 for initial care.
- Kahn has regained employment and new insurance but still faces more than $19,000 in unpaid bills, which she continues to appeal, and Northern Arizona Healthcare said the system works to limit costs.
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services require at least 60 days for COBRA enrollment with retroactive coverage, and Sabrina Corlette said insurers 'don’t want people to wait to sign up for coverage.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Bat Flies into a Woman's Mouth and Costs Her $20,000 in Medical Bills
Erica Kahn, 33, underwent rabies treatments across three states but they were not covered by insuranceGetty A bat in flight (stock photo).NEED TO KNOWA Massachusetts woman is struggling to manage more than $20,000 in medical bills for preventative rabies treatments after a bat ended up in her mouthErica Kahn, 33, said the incident occurred last August after she had been laid off and lost her health insuranceShe was treated at four care locations…
Massachusetts Woman Gets Bat Stuck In Her Mouth, Then Gets Stuck With $21K Medical Bill
Greater-Bamboo-Bat Erica Kahn of Massachusetts was vacationing at the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Arizona last August when she had a spooky encounter with a bat. As she was photographing the night sky, she noticed a group of bats flying around. Then, out of nowhere, one of them flew right up into her face… and into her mouth. Wait? How did the bat get into her mouth? As for how the bat got into her mouth? It turned out that it ended …
Woman with wild bat in her mouth hit with crippling medical bills — despite insurance
In retrospect, Erica Kahn realizes she made two big mistakes.The first was choosing to temporarily forgo health insurance when she was laid off from her job.The second was screaming when a wild bat later landed on her face.The bizarre encounter happened last August, while the Massachusetts resident was photographing the night sky during a vacation at the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Arizona. Kahn, now 33, noticed a few bats flying aro…
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