An American man, Frank Wucinski, who until recently was in Wuhan, China, appeared on T.V. to share his story and left viewers with lasting impressions, as he constantly coughed during his time on the screen.
Wucinski had spent the last 15 years of his life in China and most of that time in Wuhan since he is married to a Chinese woman, and the two of them share a three-year-old daughter named Annabel.
Even though Frank and his child were brought back to America on February 4, his spouse remained in Wuhan to take care of her father, who had tested positive for coronavirus and admitted to a medical institution but unfortunately had succumbed to the sickness since then.
According to Wucinski, upon their arrival in America, he and Annabel were quickly rushed to the MCAS Miramar military base in San Diego, where they were kept in isolation for two weeks. The two of them were released after it was confirmed they were not affected by the virus.
However, while Wucinski was sharing details about his experience in China, at times, he seemed to be overwhelmed by an unstoppable cough, and at one point, he even took a bottle of water from his daughter, who was also present during the interview.
Wucinski also talked about the current situation in Wuhan and stated that when the outbreak first started, it was really scary because nobody knew what was going on, but he expressed hope that doctors and scientists will get a better handle on the whole situation.
The Pennsylvania native also dropped the bombshell that after accepting the U.S. government’s offer to evacuate from Wuhan with his daughter, he was slapped with a massive hospital bill of $3,900.
The man and his child were taken to Marine Corps Station Miramar in California was asked to pay for hospital doctors, radiologists, and an ambulance company.
Wucinski was also asked to cover the $2,200 costs of his flight back to the U.S.
He revealed: “I assumed it was all being paid for. We didn’t have a choice. When the bills showed up, it was just a pit in my stomach, like, ‘How do I pay for this?'”
Via a GoFundMe account, Wucinski has managed to raise over $17,000 for his medical bills and to help his sick family members back in China.
He continued: “I had originally stopped accepting donations a while ago, once reaching my goal. However, some things have changed. Although I assumed all medical bills from our time in quarantine would be paid by the government, it turns out that I am financially responsible for the six days Annabel and I spent in isolation at the hospital. Secondly, since I do not know how long we will be in the United States, I am looking into getting health insurance for the two of us, since my insurance in China does not cover American doctors. While it looks like my daughter might be eligible for free healthcare, I am not. A look through the available plans shows that I can expect to pay 500 dollars a month, which is a problem since I do not have access to my bank account in China. As some may know, banks in China only issue one bank card, which I left with my wife. Since she is in quarantine, neither of us has access to the account, although she can use electronic payment methods.”
A spokesman for the hospital has issued a statement saying that Wucinski received the huge bill in error, and they are investigating the matter.
