When someone goes to the hospital after being raped, doctors use a rape kit to test for evidence. Who would have thought those same rape victims would later receive a bill in the mail for that test?

The News & Observer’s Mandy Locke highlighted this burden today in a well-researched article that left me sad and angry at the system:

The vast majority of the 3,000 or so emergency room patients examined for sexual assaults each year shoulder some of the cost of a rape kit test, according to state records and victim advocates. For some, it’s as little as a $50 insurance co-payment. For those without insurance, it’s hundreds of dollars left when a state program designed to help reaches its limit.

The average hospital bill for a rape kit is $1,600, according to the article. Could you imagine how haunting it would be to receive a bill for those services when you’re trying to put such a horrible violation behind you?

I noticed the N&O posted a follow-up article on its Web site this afternoon saying state leaders are looking for ways to cover the costs not covered by insurance and other reimbursements. It appears that declaration is a direct result of Locke’s article.

It’s important to note that in some cases, Locke reported, hospitals will forgive the balance of the bill for rape victims. But what if a rape victim doesn’t realize this and shells out a few hundred bucks of their hard earned money just to put the past behind them? Or worse, what if a rape victim can’t afford to pay and the bill lingers on their credit report? I’m so glad Locke brought this to light and I hope state lawmakers make good on their word to find money in the state budget to make sure this no longer occurs.