PEWAUKEE, Wis. — A Pewaukee mother is speaking out after receiving an unexpected bill from Children's Wisconsin for asking routine nutrition questions during her twins' annual checkup.
Crystal Stefanko thought she was taking her children for a standard preventative visit that would be fully covered by insurance. Instead, she received a bill with a $30 copay for what the hospital called "diet counseling."
"It was great, and I was on my way, and I thought that was it, just a regular checkup. I always ask a bunch of questions, but then I got the bill in the mail," Stefanko said.
The preventative visit should have been covered at 100 percent, according to Stefanko, who initially thought the charge was a billing error.
"I was very surprised when I called and they said that it was an intentional extra charge for diet counseling," she said.
Stefanko said a billing department employee told her she was charged extra because she asked questions about her child's nutrition during the appointment.
"Some specifics on how much they should be eating with being growing boys," Stefanko explained. "Yeah, typical questions you would ask at a kids' checkup."
Stefanko said she was not informed during the visit that asking these questions would result in additional charges.
After multiple attempts to dispute the charge were denied by Children's Wisconsin, Stefanko reached out to TMJ4 News for help.
No one from Children's Wisconsin would do an on-camera interview to answer questions or clarify what parents can or cannot ask during preventative visits.
In a statement, a spokesperson said in part: "If new health concerns are detected or discussed during the wellness visit, additional charges may apply. To make this determination, we follow guidelines set by the American Academy of Pediatrics."
However, TMJ4 reviewed the American Academy of Pediatrics' preventative care recommendations, which show promoting healthy weight and healthy nutrition are among the main topics of the guidelines for health supervision for children.
Stefanko said her concern extends beyond the $30 charge.
"It's not about the money," she said. "I'm spending all this time fighting this for families that maybe can't afford that and are maybe going to be afraid to ask questions, and I'm really concerned that kids are going to get hurt as a result of this policy."
She advises other parents to ask detailed questions about what is and isn't included in preventative visits before going.
"I hate to say don't ask questions because it's so important to ask questions, but if you can call beforehand and try to get a list of what is included and what's not, or as a result of this story, we can get Children's to release that list," Stefanko added.
"For every single question you ask, follow that with 'is this included?' It's ridiculous that we have to do that, but here we are."
Stefanko contacted TMJ4 News because she feared the billing practice could discourage parents from asking important health questions about their children.
"I see your stories investigating things like this, and I was sure that this was something you'd be interested in," she said.
If there's something you want Jenna Rae to investigate, email her at Jenna.Rae@tmj4.com.
This story was reported on-air by Jenna Rae and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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