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Amador County woman claims hospital offered to test her for coronavirus for $3,300

"It's just very concerning that we can't get tested when we need to be tested," said Debra Taylor, a 65-year-old cancer survivor.

AMADOR COUNTY, Calif. — The lack of coronavirus testing kits has been a major complaint for doctors and government officials in California. And while health officials and state leaders continue to ask for more kits, residents who show symptoms are feeling the impact.

On a recent trip to Sutter Amador Hospital, Debra Taylor, a 65-year-old cancer survivor from Amador County, said doctors told her she would have to pay $3,300 for a coronavirus test because she does not fit the testing criteria created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC requires patients to be showing symptoms, as well as either recently traveled or been exposed to someone who has. Although Taylor hasn't left the country recently, she claims she was told any foreign travel was the only pre-requisite needed in order to be tested.

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"I had understood that if we felt we needed to be tested, we would," Taylor told ABC10 in a Facetime interview from her home. "That is not the case here. I show every symptom of COVID."

Sutter Amador Hospital officials denied the claim in an email statement to ABC10.

Taylor said she woke up on Tuesday morning feeling extremely under the weather and showing coronavirus symptoms including a fever, dry cough and trouble breathing. She's also in two high-risk groups — over 60 years old with a compromised immune system as a cancer survivor.

Taylor said she called her local health department who she says directed her to go to the Sutter Amador Hospital in Jackson. That's where she spent Thursday morning. She said she received a flu test and a strep test, both of which came back negative.

Taylor said they asked if she had traveled internationally or came into contact with anyone else who had. She said “No.”

"When I asked if I had been tested for COVID, they said 'no,'" Taylor recalled. "If I wanted to be tested, I needed to pay $3,300."

CORONAVIRUS TEST KITS: I just got off the phone with a 65-year-old c... ancer survivor in Amador County showing COVID-19 symptoms and she believes she has the virus. She went to the closest hospital yesterday where her flu test and step test both came back negative.

Sutter Amador Hospital officials told ABC10 in a statement that the hospital is not charging patients for coronavirus testing and are not testing any patient who does not meet the CDC requirements. Additionally, the hospital said any testing done by the hospital would be done by nearby commercial and public laboratories who are testing.

"Sutter is not collecting patient cost shares in advance of providing services for medically necessary COVID-19 screening and testing administered at Sutter hospitals, emergency departments, walk-in care clinics, and other medical provider locations," the hospital said. "Cost shares include copays, deductibles and co-insurance collections."

Taylor said she was told foreign travel is still being used as a prerequisite for testing, despite symptoms. Or else it's $3,300 for one test. As a family that lives paycheck-to-paycheck, this was out of the question.

"It's just very concerning that we can't get tested when we need to be tested," Taylor said.

Follow the conversation on Facebook with Lena Howland.

CORONAVIRUS BACKGROUND:

According to the CDC, coronavirus (COVID-19) is a family of viruses that is spreadable from person to person. Coronavirus is believed to have been first detected in a seafood market in Wuhan, China in December 2019. If someone is sick with coronavirus, the symptoms they may show include mild to severe respiratory illness, cough, and difficulty breathing.
Currently, there is no vaccine, however, the CDC suggests the following precautions, along with any other respiratory illness:

  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
  • Wash your hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds. 

The CDC also says facemasks should only be used by people who show symptoms of the virus. If you’re not sick, you do not have to wear a facemask. The CDC says the immediate risk to the U.S. public is low.

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