“It was incredible to see our community come together after the senseless shooting of Pulse”, said Daryl Tol, president of Florida Hospital, quoted by the Orlando Sentinel newspaper.
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The Orlando hospitals that treated dozens of people injured in the Pulse nightclub massacre are not billing survivors for out-of-pocket medical expenses. “They have rent, they have bills, and responsibilities and a big concern is that hospital bill that’s going to come”, Garcia said.
“During this very trying time, many organizations, individuals, and charities have reached out to Orlando Health to show their support”, Strong added.
Forty-nine people died and more than 50 were wounded in the shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, when Omar Mateen opened fire there June 12.
According to an ABC News report, Orlando Health will look at a number of avenues to find the funding necessary to cover the bills – including victim funds, federal funds and the crime victim compensation program.
At Florida Hospital, however, bills will not be sent to insurance providers nor will patients be charged for any follow-up surgeries that they will need due to the attack.
“The pulse shooting was a horrendous tragedy for the victims, their families and our entire community”, Orlando Health President and CEO David Strong told the Orlando Sentinel.
The hospitals estimate around $5 million for the service. “They were just there for me and they deserve big props for that because they’re wonderful for doing what they did”, said Christopher LIttlestar.
The hospitals will collect money from insurance companies, the One Orlando Fund, and other sources.
“There’s not a day that goes by when I don’t cry”. After he was hit, he fell and split his elbow on a shard of glass. When gunshots rang out at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando last month, patrons hid from the gunman and frantically texted relatives to call 911 because Orlando doesn’t have 911 texting.
“It’s a huge relief” to know he won’t have to pay, he said.
Florida Hospital officials said the bills there totaled more than $525,000.
The hospitals are expected to turn to federal, state and victims’ funds to make up the losses.
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Embry Howell, a senior fellow at the think tank the Urban Institute, told Aboraya that numerous other victims who received treatment likely had no insurance. “While we can’t assume the answer is free care forever, we will use our very generous charity and financial assistance policies to assess the best way” to help.
