N.C. hospitals bill rape victims (insurance, crime, how much)

[alice_61]

newsobserver.com | N.C. hospitals bill rape victims (http://www.newsobserver.com/news/health_science/story/941202.html - broken link)

N.C. hospitals bill rape victims
Advocates say the state should shoulder the cost of rape kits, which are needed to help put suspects behind bars

BY THE NUMBERS
3,000 - Average number of rape kit tests performed in North Carolina hospitals each year
469 - Number of hospital bills the state helped pay for rape kit tests performed on uninsured women in the year ending June 30, 2007
$1,600 - Average hospital bill for a rape kit test examination, including doctors' and nurses' time
$258,422 - Money the state allots each year to help pay for hospital rape examinations
$4.8M - Estimated cost to fully cover the cost of rape kit exams in North Carolina
(N.C. DEPARTMENT OF CRIME CONTROL AND PUBLIC SAFETY)

Charging the victim $1600.00 to collect evidence to prosecute the rapist is ridiculous and is not in the public's best interest. (Would you want rapists to not be prosecuted because victims couldn't afford the exam?)

[SunnyKayak]

the victim should sue the rapist.

If I was a victim of a car accident with unisured motorist I would sue the uninsured motorist,

[alice_61]

Hmmm. That's an interesting thought. I wonder if rape victims often sue. And I wonder if one can successfully sue for the costs of prosecuting a criminal case.

[alice_61]

Update:

newsobserver.com | A rush to pay for rape exams (http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/943816.html - broken link)

A rush to pay for rape exams
Lawmakers, outraged that victims pay the bill, vow to find money for the tests given after a sexual assault

[Debera109]

Even when rape kits are provided to the police, they often do not have the funding to process them. It is estimated that there are currently 300,000–500,000 untested kits sitting in police departments across the country.

My thinking is they will need to fund the costs of the rape kits, but also the costs to the police department to run their DNA tests.

Otherwise it's just another taxpayer expense, with nothing in return.

In addition to a horrible crime, what a slap in the face to the thousands of women who have paid for these tests.

[alice_61]

Debra,

That's very interesting. How much does it cost to process the kit? Do you know what they do?

Thanks,
Alice

[jaynarie]

Many rapists go uncaught, which wouldn't make it possible to sue them. Insurance should require no copays and foot the entire bill.

[Debera109]

The costs for a lab to process a rape kit usually run $500 - $1000, and then another $50 for analysis and entering the information into the national database.

20/20 has done several investigative stories on the rape kit controversy. In one report, they paid the city of Baltimore half of the costs to process old rape kits that were just sitting in their warehouse. This helped solve 5 major crimes and got a wrongly accused person out of jail.

By coincidence, I was researching this information for a medical research class when the story broke in the news. There is a lot of information on the internet about it.

[cynwldkat]

There is no question about this whole issue----it should be 100% covered by whom ever or what ever without any trouble to these poor victims!! PERIOD!!! They have already been through he$$ and do not deserve to have to deal with any kind of friggin bill. I mean there is coverage for people who are not even citizens so what is the question here?? Sorry, I just think this should not even be a question!!

[canda]

You Can Contact The Victim Assistance Fund, Which Is Usually At Any Center You Have To Ask For It, They Never Tell You,check The Court House Or The Hospital, Every State Has It They Pay Your Lost Wages And Medical, It Is For Rape Victims And Domestic Abuse Victims