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Continued From Page 3 “Almost Died” “Finding yourself in an economic situation that
“In them, I saw an example that I would be able makes you question will it be worth surviving or
to overcome this,” he said. not is very sad. I feel so full of life, so hopeful,
and this situation has been terrible,” he said.
After about seven months, Hernández was Hernández turned to social media to advocate
discharged and returned home to Puerto Rico. for himself and bring attention to his situation.
He had left the island a healthy 20-something in “Governor, what can be done in my case to
Continued On Page 3 “Burned Dog” stop insurance abuse?” he wrote in a post last
pursuit of his passion and came back in fragile summer, addressing then Gov. Wanda
health. Family and friends greeted him at the Vázquez. “First Medical, the largest provider of
airport with Puerto Rican flags, posters, health services for government employees, led
balloons, even live music. me to believe that it would cover the bill for the
hospital.”
“When I arrived, it seemed like all of Puerto
Rico had come,” he said. “I had fought so hard Some Washington officials have spoken up on
to leave the hospital and come home. To see his behalf. Rep. Jenniffer González, the island’s
them so happy and to share that with them was sole representative in Congress, recently wrote
beautiful.” President Joe Biden after a CBS News report
aired about Hernández’s plight.
Hernández began medical treatment on the “I respectfully request you consider pardoning
island and settled into a new routine. But a the expenses incurred by Alexis in this horrific
surprise letter from the U.S. government arrived accident,” she wrote.
at his Camuy home, stating that the burn Nydia Velázquez, the first Puerto Rican woman
survivor owed over $1 million to the federal in Congress, wrote to Janet Yellen, the
government for his treatment. secretary of the Department of Treasury, asking
Hernández reached out to First Medical, his the agency to consider Hernández’s request for
insurance company. The firm replied that they his debt to be forgiven.
had an analyst handling his case, he told the
Herald. In response to a June 2020 letter from
González, an army official said that the
“I called the insurance company in tears, asking Department of Justice was the “proper authority
for an answer because they didn’t say for resolution,” because of the large size of the
anything,” he said. “That’s when they gave me debt. According to the reply, the hospital was
an appointment with the vice president, who working to facilitate any information he could
was with a lawyer. He said that they were sorry use to submit a request to cancel the debt.
but that they couldn’t pay the bill.”
First Medical denied him coverage on the The Department of Defense and the
grounds that the accident had taken place in Department of Treasury did not immediately
Mexico, Hernández said. Meanwhile, medical return a request for comment. The insurance
expenses incurred in Mexico were paid through company declined to comment, citing patient
donations. privacy policies.
For the burn survivor, the experience was The debt, which stands at over $1.7 million as
revelatory of the complexities and challenges of of June 2020, currently remains unresolved.
the American healthcare system. Hernández, now 25, said that the emotional
distress caused by his sky-high medical bills
has affected his recovery. But despite his
medical and economic troubles, Hernández
remains focused on healing, calling the date of
the explosion “his anniversary of being alive.”
Continued On Page 5 “Almost Died”
