DENVER — Every year thousands of sexual assault survivors go to the hospital for help, but many leave with a medical bill costing thousands for an exam to assist with an investigation. Now there's a push for a new bill on the federal level to cut those costs.
In September, a new bill was introduced in the House of Representatives that would require private health insurance to cover forensic exams for victims and survivors of sexual assault.
“It’s currently not law; it's being proposed in the ways and means committee and it's supposed to be part of another bill. So we will see if it actually becomes law," said 9NEWS Legal Analyst Whitney Traylor.
In 2020, the "No Surprises for Survivors Act" stated a forensic exam should be considered an emergency service.
In 1994, the "Violence Against Women Act" was signed into law, stating sexual assault victims shouldn't be charged for a forensic exam where evidence is collected.
But some victims and survivors were still charged because of hospital error and the exam was not conducted by a sexual assault nurse examiner. This new bill would close those gaps.
“It codifies and makes it easier for survivors to get this reimbursement and putting one big significant change is requiring the insurance company to notify them of how to seek reimbursement," Traylor said.
Although this would only cover the initial forensic exam which assists with an investigation; victims and survivors still endure additional medical costs like pregnancy tests, testing, or treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.
According to a report by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 17 states in the country cover the costs of STI testing including HIV preventatives and emergency contraception. Colorado does not cover those costs but some nearby states, like Wyoming and Utah do.
“It codifies and makes it easier for survivors to get this reimbursement and putting one big significant change is requiring the insurance company to notify them of how to seek reimbursement," Traylor said.
The New England Journal of Medicine shows most emergency visits in 2019 related to sexual assault resulted in out-of-pocket costs of up to $3,000.
"When someone is experiencing this level of trauma, to then burden them with this sort of financial and administrative task is egregious. And so I think that is why Congress is trying to act and make this as simple as possible for the survivors," Traylor said.
This proposed law will be part of a broader mental health and consumer protection bill package that could take effect next year.
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