Liz Gelardi, The Denver Channel
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — A rapid COVID-19 test was Barbara Deckert’s key to getting back to work. She was relieved when she tested negative, but an unexpected bill caught her by surprise.
Deckert believed she paid for the test in full during her appointment but received another bill in the mail months later. She provided Contact Denver7 with the receipt showing she paid $215 at the time of the visit, but she was later billed for an additional $110.
“It was kind of surprising to get another bill,” said Deckert.
Deckert said she tried to resolve the issue with AFC Urgent Care, while continuing to receive notices in the mail stating she still had a balance on her account. She said she recently got a letter saying her account was seriously past due and could be placed with a collection agency.
“It was a standard COVID test. It should’ve been pretty straightforward,” said Deckert.
Then, Deckert said she received another statement in the mail stating she no longer had a balance. Contact Denver7 reached out to AFC Urgent Care and was told the bill was erroneously generated. A spokesperson with the office said it was an unfortunate mistake that was corrected once they found out about it.
“You have every right to ask what something is going to cost and they should be able to tell you, especially when it comes to the COVID testing,” said Adam Fox, deputy director of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative.