Woman charged $40 for crying during doctor’s appointment, Twitter united in outrage

A New York woman says her younger sister was charged for crying during a doctor's visit.

A US woman says her younger sister was charged $40 for crying during a doctor’s visitor. Camille Johnson, a YouTuber based in Brooklyn, New York, revealed that her sister had been struggling with a rare health condition and went to see a doctor. She shared a picture of the doctor’s invoice which billed her sibling for a “brief emotional/behavioural assessment”.

“My little sister has been really struggling with a health condition lately and finally got to see a doctor. They charged her $40 for crying,” Johnson wrote on Twitter.

My little sister has been really struggling with a health condition lately and finally got to see a doctor. They charged her $40 for crying. pic.twitter.com/fbvOWDzBQM

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— Camille Johnson (@OffbeatLook) May 17, 2022

A brief emotional/behavioral assessment, identified by Current Procedural Terminology or CPT code 96127, is a mental health screening that doctors in the United States can use to assess patients for signs of depression, anxiety and other issues.

According to Newsweek, "Administration of the assessment is entirely up to the physicians, with patient consent. There are no requirements to screen patients if they display emotion, and Code 96127 cannot be reported simply because a patient shows emotion, such as crying.”

She has a rare disease so she’s been really struggling to find care. She got emotional because she feels frustrated and helpless. One tear in and they charged her $40 without addressing why she is crying, trying to help, doing any evaluation, any prescription, nothing.

— Camille Johnson (@OffbeatLook) May 17, 2022

Johnson has alleged that her sister was never evaluated but still charged for the assessment.

“They did not evaluate her for depression or other mental illnesses, nor did they discuss her mental health with her,” she told The Independent. “She never talked to a specialist, was not referred to anyone, not prescribed anything, and they did nothing to assist with her mental health.”

Her post has gone viral on Twitter with half a million ‘likes’ and hundreds of outraged comments slamming the US healthcare system.

“Tell me you live in America without telling me that you live in America,” wrote one person in the comments section. “This is ridiculous and doesn't make any sense,” another said.