I had to spend a week in the Hospital and it cost over thirty thousand dollars. The Workers’ Compensation Insurance carrier only paid about half of the bill, or $15,000.00, and now the Hospital is suing me for their $15,000 balance. How am I supposed to pay the hospital bill when I’m only getting 2/3 of my wages?

Balance billing is prohibited by law:

65.2-714(D) of the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Act states:

D. No physician, hospital, or other health care provider as defined in § 8.01-581.1 shall balance bill an employee in connection with any medical treatment, services, appliances or supplies furnished to the employee in connection with an injury for which an award of compensation is made pursuant to § 65.2-704. For the purpose of this subsection, a health care provider “balance bills” whenever (i) an employer or the employer’s insurance carrier declines to pay all of the health care provider’s charge or fee and (ii) the health care provider seeks payment of the balance from the employee.