Tennessee Hospital Will Not Bill Tornado Victims for Out-of-Pocket Expenses

A Tennessee hospital will not bill its 82 tornado victims for out-of-pocket costs incurred from treatment related to deadly tornadoes in the area.

Cookeville Regional Medical Center said it will bill patients’ insurance providers, but will not send patients a bill. Uninsured patients will also not receive a bill for outstanding medical costs.

“We’re going to bill the insurance and accept the insurance payment as payment in full,” CFO Steve Ramey told the Herald-Citizen. “None of the patients will get a bill from us.”

Ramey added that patients might still receive bills from the ambulance ride, independent physicians, and other hospitals if they were transferred, but stated that if patients receive a bill from Cookeville Regional Medical Center they can let the business office know so the charges can be removed.

The National Weather Service says at least seven tornadoes struck middle Tennessee, killing 24 people and caused massive damage throughout Putnam County, where the damage was the strongest.

Here are preliminary maps of the four #tornado tracks we've determined from the March 3, 2020 #tornadoes. Damage surveys will continue today in Humphreys and Cumberland Counties and additional tornado tracks may be found #tnwx pic.twitter.com/BJJrifqaKu

— NWS Nashville (@NWSNashville) March 6, 2020

The strongest tornado from Monday night into Tuesday created 175 mile-per-hour (mph) winds and stretched out for eight miles in Putnam County.

President Donald Trump surveyed the damage on the ground in Putnam County on Friday, where 18 people died.

Tornadoes also hit Nashville and Wilson counties, as well as other counties in the state.