Erica Kahn, a Massachusetts resident, faced nearly $21,000 in medical bills after a bat flew into her mouth during a vacation in Northern Arizona last August. The incident occurred while Kahn, then 33, was photographing the night sky at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Despite not feeling a bite, her father, a physician, advised her to seek rabies vaccinations as a precaution.

Kahn, who had recently lost her job as a biomedical engineer, had opted to temporarily forgo health insurance. After the bat encounter, she quickly purchased a policy from Innovative Partners LP, believing it would cover emergency treatments. However, the policy had a 30-day waiting period, and her claims were denied, leaving her with a bill of $20,749. The majority of the charges came from Flagstaff Medical Center, where she received her initial treatment.

Rabies, a fatal disease if untreated, requires immediate medical attention. Kahn received four doses of the rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin shots across multiple states. Despite her efforts to appeal the denied claims, Kahn faced challenges in navigating the insurance process.

"I felt so powerless against these companies," she told NBC News. "It should be a human right to have lifesaving care covered. In most other countries, like in Europe, you just go to the hospital, you get your rabies vaccines and you pay nothing."

Kahn says that she hopes others will learn from her mistake and ensure they have health insurance coverage.

"If one person gets covered because they saw this story, then I would be happy about that," she added.

Jami Landis