Just when you think you have heard it all, there’s more. This time, it was an Indiana woman, Melissa, a single mother of 3 children, a resident of La Porte, Indiana. She was initially pulled over for a routine check by a policeman who upon running her license through the system found out that she had an unpaid air ambulance bill that was a couple of years old. Unbeknownst to her, a warrant had been issued for her arrest, and she was immediately taken into custody. What added to the tragedy was the fact that she was driving to get some papers in so that she can save her house from being impounded. The woman, who is a healthcare worker by profession, had to endure three days in a jail cell, until her parents could afford a $1500 bail amount.
Details Pertaining to the Unpaid Air Ambulance Bill
Melissa, owing to a complicated pregnancy and a related heart condition, had to summon an air ambulance about four years ago. She, in turn, had incurred a $3000 air ambulance bill. She claims that she had never received the bill and supposed that the bill had gone to her older address. Unfortunately for her, the bill had been passed on to a debt collection agency who upon not finding her, had gone to the court and subsequently an arrest warrant was issued against her.
Criminalization of Poverty?
Many would argue that an air ambulance bill of this amount should have been covered by the state or her insurance, although at this point it is not clear whether she had adequate coverage in the first place. However, it seems a bit too harsh to know that a single mother had been jailed for not being able to afford an essential or perhaps a life-saving service. The citizens of the country certainly deserve better.
