Sexual assault victims are sometimes billed for rape kits, despite federal law's protections
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The Violence Against Women Act requires states that receive certain federal grants to certify that sexual assault victims don’t have to pay for the medical exams that gather forensic evidence.
But some hospital billing departments aren’t getting the message. Some women are still being billed for forensic rape examinations, known as rape kits, Kaiser Health News reports. And the free services the women are eligible to receive vary from state to state.
The New York State Attorney General’s Office announced settlements in November with seven hospitals that illegally billed rape victims for forensic rape examinations. More than 200 women received bills ranging from about $46 to $3,000.
One woman interviewed by Kaiser Health News said she went to police after she awoke bruised and aching following a visit to a Chicago bar. Police sent her to a nearby hospital emergency room for the forensic exam.
She received regular bills for the service from a physician’s group that turned over the matter to a collection agency. Now the $131 bill has been bundled with other debts and resold to different collectors.
Kaiser Health News also cited a 2013 analysis of billing records from 1,355 insured female rape survivors. The study found they paid an average of $948 for prescription drugs and hospital services the first 30 days after the assault.
Congress considers whether to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act this year. Some would like the law to broaden services that would have to be covered by participating states. Such services should include testing and medication for pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, advocates say.
