Surprise bills break trust with health systems.

When we first chronicled what we were hearing about the new coronavirus a month ago, one of our first findings was that the general public was avoiding testing and treatment because of the anticipated costs. Payors and providers alike quickly publicized that testing would be covered. And in recent days, some have announced that treatment will also be covered. But also surfacing are stories about $2,000 testing bills that patients received from providers despite believing they were covered.

Communications takeaway: Some health systems have claimed these bills for COVID-19 treatment went out in error, and that they are recalling them. If communicators can confirm with billing departments that something similar will not happen in their system, then they should continue to proactively encourage individuals to seek testing or care if they feel sick. This encouragement has been and must continue to be a prominent message in efforts to flatten the curve. However, hitting patients with surprise bills may reduce confidence in health systems and may once again cause people to think twice about seeking care if they need it.