Sexual assault victims must pay some costs for rape kits
RALEIGH (AP) — State records show that many sexual assault victims must pay for the tests they undergo after an alleged attack.
According to records and victim advocates, some victims pay only the $50 insurance copay for an emergency room visit. But others are left with hundreds of dollars in bills.
Hospitals send emergency room bills for uninsured patients to the state Department of Crime Control and Public Safety. The agency enables reimbursements up to $1,000, though the average cost of a rape kit exam is $1,600.
The executive director of the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault said rape victims are treated differently than victims of other crimes.
She said rape kits provide DNA evidence for investigators, yet robbery victims aren’t charged when their homes are checked for fingerprints.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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