A high school teacher who was billed $109,000 after suffering a heart attack spoke at the White House, calling on Congress to end surprise medical bills.
Drew Calver, 44, who teaches history in Austin, Texas, was invited by President Donald Trump to his announcement in the Roosevelt Room on Thursday.
Trump called for legislation that would end the practice in which a patient arrives at the hospital for an emergency, only to be treated by an out-of-network doctor who leaves them with a huge bill.
He then asked Calver to speak about his experience.
The married father-of-two, who has insurance, discussed how he was taken to an out-of-network hospital and was charged double what he makes in a year following his 2017 heart attack.
'I feel like I was exploited at the most vulnerable point in my life, so I hope Congress hears this call to take action, close the loopholes and work towards that transparency,' he said on Thursday, according to ABC News.
Drew Calver, 44, a high school teacher who was billed $109,000 after suffering a heart attack, was a guest President Donald Trump at the White House and called on Congress to end surprise medical bills. Pictured: Trump delivers remarks as Calver and his wife (far right) listen
Calver, a father-of-two, suffered a heart attack in April 2017 and was taken to St David's Medical Center, which was out of his insurance network, but the closest to his home in Austin, Texas. Pictured: Calver, left, with his wife, Erin
'For too long, surprise billings, which has been a tremendous problem in this country, has left some patients with thousands of dollars of unexpected and unjustified charges,' Trump said during the meeting.
'Not a pleasant surprise, a very unpleasant surprise.'
In April 2017, Calver was at home with his eldest daughter, then, after his wife, Erin, headed out to the store with their youngest daughter, then six, reported Kaiser Health News and NPR.
He was in his bedroom when he was overwhelmed by excruciating chest pains and crumpled to the floor.
Calver called out to his daughter for help, and a neighbor rushed him to St David's Medical Center in Austin, which was the closest hospital to his house.
In the cardiac unit, medical tests showed that the fit and seemingly healthy swim coach had a blockage in his left anterior descending artery (LAD), which required emergency surgery.
Commonly known as a 'widow-maker heart attack', it's the same type that famed actor and director Kevin Smith suffered in February 2018.
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