Every year, hundreds of Utahns are impacted by surprise medical bills. These bills often occur when a patient is rushed to the nearest emergency room during a crisis, to a facility that is not covered by their insurance network.
For example, in 2018, Salt Lake native Lisa Ray’s 16-year-old son suffered a broken jaw while playing rugby. Unfortunately for her, her local, in-network hospital was at capacity, forcing her to go to the out-of-network McKay-Dee Hospital to admit her son into emergency surgery. Ray was subsequently billed $41,000 for the transaction, and her insurance provider only covered $14,000, ultimately leaving her family on the hook for $27,000.