SOS: Hospital bill hard to swallow

Story of a man whose partial bridge got painfully lodged in his lower gum. He went to UW Hospital emergency room for relief. As he waited to be seen, the hardware dislodged and he left. He later received a $143 bill, and contacted the newspaper to express his dismay. UW Hospital spokesperson Lisa Brunette quickly responded that “under the circumstances,” the man’s co-pay of $75 would be written off “as a goodwill gesture.”