What was supposed to be a relaxing evening under the stars turned into a costly nightmare for 33-year-old Erica Kahn from Massachusetts. While vacationing in Arizona with her father last August, she was enjoying the night sky and taking photos. She was completely unaware that her life (and bank account) was about to be turned upside down.
Just as the Massachusetts vacationer was snapping shots of the sky, something wild and unexpected happened. A bat flew straight into her face. In the chaos of screaming and flailing, part of the bat ended up in her mouth. Though the bizarre encounter lasted mere seconds, the fear of possible rabies exposure lingered. Her father, a doctor, urged her to seek immediate rabies treatment. A decision that would prove necessary, but devastatingly expensive.
Kahn had recently been laid off from her biomedical engineering job and hadn’t yet replaced her health insurance. After the incident, she purchased a policy online the next day, hoping to cover the costs of her rabies and immunoglobulin shots. Which she needed across three different states. Arizona, Massachusetts, and Colorado. But her insurer denied the claims, citing a 30-day waiting period.
Massachusetts Woman Shocked By Medical Bill Price Tags Racked Up During Arizona Vacation
The total? A staggering $20,749 in medical bills from four treatment centers. Now, even with a new job and some negotiated bills, she’s still tangled in a web of debt and appeals. One hospital agreed to a payment plan, and another reduced a charge. But much of the balance remains, and the battle with her insurance company rages on, according to KFF Health News.
Erica’s chilling ordeal left her more than just rattled. It left her in serious debt. While the idea of a bat flying into someone’s mouth might sound unbelievable, the true horror story is the crushing medical costs that followed. Since no laws were broken and the bat incident didn’t involve human wrongdoing, she couldn’t turn to the police. So she turned to social media, seeking advice and support.
“That’s a very big lesson I learned the hard way,” Kahn said. Despite the ordeal, she tries to look at it with a sense of humor.
“I know what bats taste like now. It’s an earthy, sweet kind of flavor,” she told KFF. “It’s actually a pretty funny story — if it weren’t for the horrible medical bill that came with it.”
One thing’s for sure: in today’s healthcare system, you don’t need to be bitten to feel the sting.
Hunter Spears 
