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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Gustaf Kilander

How a wild bat cost a US tourist more than $20,000

  • Erica Kahn, from Massachusetts, is facing over US$20,000 in medical bills after a wild bat flew into her mouth during a vacation in Arizona last August.
  • Her doctor father advised her to get rabies vaccinations as a precaution, despite her belief that the bat did not bite her.
  • Kahn, 33, purchased health insurance online the day after the incident, but the company rejected coverage, citing a 30-day waiting period for services.
  • She was treated at four different centres, accumulating bills totalling $20,749, which the insurance company refused to pay.
  • Kahn has since secured a new job, negotiated some bills, set up payment plans, and is appealing the remaining charges.

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