Columbine survivor left with $72K medical helicopter bill after insurance refuses to pay
WALDEN, Colo. (KDVR) — A Columbine High School shooting survivor who was left with thousands of dollars in bills from a 2020 medical helicopter flight is describing it as injustice.
It’s been 25 years since the tragedy at Columbine, when 13 people — 12 students and a teacher — died after two armed teenage boys went on a killing spree at the suburban Denver school. But for survivors like Joey Blom, the trauma is daily.
"That’s where I got PTSD from because I was there, I was in the cafeteria under a table. It affected my life very much, and it still does to this day," Blom said.
Her post-traumatic stress disorder led to a mental health emergency on July 11, 2020, after some changes in her medication.
"I wasn’t aware of a lot of the things I was doing because I was really scared because I thought everybody was against me. What happened is I had a medication changed on me, two of my mental health medications, and it made me stop taking them because I thought I was cured, and I started going into psychosis and started reliving the trauma throughout my life as if it were happening right then and there," Blom said. "It was like I was there again, and so I thought everybody was out to get me, even my parents, and so my number one thing was getting away and get safe and so I was reacting to that."
Blom was at her parents' home in Walden, Colorado, when she experienced this, so her family called 911. First responders quickly arrived, and she was placed in an ambulance, where her mental emergency became physical.
"We had cop cars, we had an ambulance, we had fire trucks, so of course [that] in and of itself brought me back to that day even more. I was in the ambulance, and they were giving me an IV and I guess I [exhibited] tachycardia and they got really scared and were like, 'She is not going to make it in the ambulance ride back to Littleton, she needs help now,'" she said.
Tachycardia refers to a rise in heart rate.
An air ambulance was called. In the medical transfer documentation, it states that Blom was in a “critical life-threatening condition,” with suicidal ideation and manic episodes.
After the flight, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, her insurance company, left her with the entire medical helicopter bill, which was well over $72,000, stating in a denial letter that "the air ambulance transport is not medically necessary."
Blom has tried to appeal it, but she has received denial after denial. Even the medical transport company, Med-Trans, appealed the bill on her behalf, going into great detail about why the decision was made, stating that she had recently been treated at a hospital in Denver and they would better understand her condition.
"Med-Trans recognizes the complexity of what happens after an emergency illness or injury and have a dedicated team of Patient Advocates to assist our patients through this process," said Med-Trans Corporation. "Unfortunately, the billing appeal process is largely dependent on the insurance provider, and some of our patient appeal processes take multiple months or even years.
"Our Patient Advocates do everything they can to work with the patients and their insurance companies to find a resolution," the company continued. "Once we have exhausted all appeals processes, these advocates also work with patients and their families to secure payment for air emergency medical services. If patients receive statements with balances they cannot afford, we work with them to find equitable solutions."
Blom said she can't go a week without getting at least one bill in the mail or by email.
"It’s constant stress because I get emails multiple times every month telling me to pay, plus I get bills in the mail," Blom said. "I just want it to go away so I can move forward with my husband, so I can move forward with my life and just put everything behind me, finally. That’s what I want."
Nexstar's KDVR reached out to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas and asked numerous questions about why Blom's medical costs weren't covered, even partially.
They sent a response, stating, "Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas does not publicly comment on member cases. We are committed to providing our members access to quality, cost-effective health care within the benefits outlined in their plan and in keeping with our medical policies."
In January 2022, new legislation went into effect called the “No Surprises Act,” which protects patients from any surprise bills for emergency care. The No Surprise Act does apply to life flights, but since it’s not a retroactive law, it doesn’t help Blom.