Tim Winard knew he needed to buy health insurance when he left his management job in manufacturing to launch his own business.
It was the first time he had shopped around for coverage, searching for a plan that would cover him and his wife, who was also between jobs at the time.
“We were so nervous about not being on a company-provided plan,” Winard said.
After speaking with an insurance agent, he decided against enrolling in an Affordable Care Act plan because he was concerned about the potential cost. Instead, he chose a short-term policy, good for six months.
Six months later, Winard was still working on starting his business, so he signed up for another short-term policy with a different insurer that cost about $500 a month.
When he needed a colonoscopy, Winard, 57, called his insurance company. He said a representative told him to go to any facility he wanted for the procedure.
Early last year, he had the colonoscopy at a hospital in Elmhurst, Illinois, not far from his home in Addison.
The procedure went well, and Winard went home right afterward.
Then the bill came.
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The Medical Procedure
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