Billing 'nightmare' for donor in 4-way kidney swap
Greenwich Time | Neil Vigdor
Victor Tiriolo Jr. outside of Chicken Joe's in Cos Cob, where he works, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013. Tiriolo was part of the first four-way kidney swap at Yale-New Haven Medical Center and is now being pursued by a collection agency for the $40,000 operation, despite assurances from his designated hospital advocate that the insurance of the Wilton woman he gave a kidney to would pick up the cost of the transplant that has now wrecked his credit. Tiriolo's father, Victor Tiriolo Sr. who died in December at age 71, received a kidney from the woman's husband in October. Photo: Bob Luckey
There's a void inside Victor Tiriolo Jr.
It cuts much deeper than a missing left kidney, which the Cos Cob native and Seymour resident donated as part of the first four-way kidney swap performed in Connecticut last October.
It comes from the loss of his father, Victor Tiriolo Sr., a veteran postman who was also part of the swap and died two months after the simultaneous surgeries.
It stems from an onslaught of telephone calls -- not from doctors or nurses about his upcoming six-month checkup, but from the collections department of Yale-New Haven Hospital telling Tiriolo he owes $40,000 for an operation he said wasn't supposed to cost him a cent.
Despite what he said were assurances from his patient advocate that his medical costs would be covered by the insurance of the Wilton woman who received his kidney, Tiriolo told Hearst Connecticut Newspapers that the same hospital that was quick to seek out media coverage of the swap is now quick to collect.
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{Register to be an organ,eye and tissue donor. To learn how, www.donatelife.net or www.organdonor.gov}
Victor Tiriolo Jr. outside of Chicken Joe's in Cos Cob, where he works, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013. Tiriolo was part of the first four-way kidney swap at Yale-New Haven Medical Center and is now being pursued by a collection agency for the $40,000 operation, despite assurances from his designated hospital advocate that the insurance of the Wilton woman he gave a kidney to would pick up the cost of the transplant that has now wrecked his credit. Tiriolo's father, Victor Tiriolo Sr. who died in December at age 71, received a kidney from the woman's husband in October. Photo: Bob Luckey
There's a void inside Victor Tiriolo Jr.
It cuts much deeper than a missing left kidney, which the Cos Cob native and Seymour resident donated as part of the first four-way kidney swap performed in Connecticut last October.
It comes from the loss of his father, Victor Tiriolo Sr., a veteran postman who was also part of the swap and died two months after the simultaneous surgeries.
It stems from an onslaught of telephone calls -- not from doctors or nurses about his upcoming six-month checkup, but from the collections department of Yale-New Haven Hospital telling Tiriolo he owes $40,000 for an operation he said wasn't supposed to cost him a cent.
Despite what he said were assurances from his patient advocate that his medical costs would be covered by the insurance of the Wilton woman who received his kidney, Tiriolo told Hearst Connecticut Newspapers that the same hospital that was quick to seek out media coverage of the swap is now quick to collect.
Continue readingContinue reading
{Register to be an organ,eye and tissue donor. To learn how, www.donatelife.net or www.organdonor.gov}
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