“I’m very thankful to THE CITY and also Brad Lander’s office for being so responsive.” “So often you just complain about something and nothing happens and you feel like you’re blowing into the wind,” Filan said. He said he was pleasantly surprised to learn of the settlement. He was surprised when a $100 invoice arrived at his Brooklyn Heights home.įilan ignored the bill but complained to his local City Council member, Brad Lander, now the city’s comptroller. Jay Filan, now 66, visited a Bay Ridge location in March of 2021 after his physician tested positive for the virus. Surprise Bills ‘Erode Trust’ĭuring THE CITY’s initial investigation, Carecube customers were surprised to receive a bill for an “office visit” or a copay for services they believed were fully covered by their insurance. It also agreed to train staff on the new billing process.Ĭustomers wrongfully billed will be fully paid back with 9% interest as part of the settlement, the attorney general’s office said. Members and sponsors make THE CITY possible.Īs part of the settlement, Carecube modified its billing system and has agreed to notify the attorney general’s office in writing if it resumes offering COVID tests, which the company stopped doing last April. In the settlement, representatives for Carecube said they had issued refunds to some customers they improperly charged.
“This predatory behavior was unjust and illegal, and I am pleased that New Yorkers who were wrongfully charged will get their money back,” James said in a statement.Ĭarecube had more than 20 COVID-19 testing sites across the city at the pandemic’s peak, but in 2021 dozens of customers said they were charged at least $100 for tests that should have been fully covered by insurance policies.Īt the time, Carecube defended charging customers for those screenings, saying staffers were obligated to conduct a “pre-test assessment” even before swabbing a patient’s nose.Ī spokesperson for the company, whose website says it still operates five clinics in Brooklyn and The Bronx, could not be reached for comment. James on Thursday announced the settlement with Carecube, which will have to dole out $300,000 to the state’s general fund following an investigation sparked, in part, by reporting in THE CITY.
#Free covid testing nyc free#
New Yorkers tagged with medical bills of $100 and up after taking supposedly free COVID tests will receive refunds as part of a settlement between Attorney General Letitia James and a Brooklyn-based physicians group.
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