Hidden costs for 'fully covered' care can slam patients' wallets

Jennifer Moxley of Charlotte had her children early, so when she had problems with her birth control method she decided to get a tubal ligation. Under the Affordable Care Act, that sterilization surgery is one of the preventive services that's supposed to be fully covered by insurance. But when her gynecologist checked with her insurance company, Moxley was told she'd end up paying $9,000 for anesthesia, medication and the hospital room. "It's a ridiculous loophole," Moxley said. In North Carolina and across the country, hidden costs have popped up on "fully covered" services ranging from contraception to cancer screening to annual checkups.