Senators press insurance cooperation for Las Vegas shooting’s injured
WASHINGTON — Many of the victims from the mass shooting on the Las Vegas Strip were from outside Nevada and now face recuperation in local hospitals with local doctors.
Those patients face out-of-network charges, copayments and deductibles that can add anxiety and higher costs to their treatment, according to Nevada’s two U.S. senators who asked asked America’s Health Insurance Plans and Blue Cross Blue Shield to help those out-of-town visitors with medical costs associated with the shooting.
“We fear that victims of this tragedy currently seeking badly needed health care in the community could be hit with costly, out-of-network charges,” said Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democrat, and Sen. Dean Heller, a Republican.
The senators, in a letter, urged the insurance companies to do whatever they can “to support recovering families and waive any charges that may typically apply.”
Requests for comment from Blue Cross Blue Shield and AHIP were not immediately returned.
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield has offered free access to counselors and therapists via online video and phone for those affected by the Oct. 1 shooting, when a gunman killed 58 people and wounded 546.
During a news conference on Friday, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said 45 victims remain in Las Vegas hospitals, “some of those in critical condition.”
Cortez Masto and Heller, in their letter to insurers, said grieving families “need your help to ensure that they can focus on recovering, instead of their pocketbooks.”
Contact Gary Martin at 202662-7390 or gmartin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @garymartindc on Twitter.
