Many of you know Mr. Frank Hooker, who worked for our great City of Devine for 33 years, dedicating many hours to our city, and now he needs our help. Hooker was airlifted to BAMC in 2015, and the family has recently been faced with an insurmountable bill and garnishments on his social security checks making it difficult to make ends meet.
“The $39,000 helicopter ride was paid, but the $60,000 hospital bill was denied. Humana denied the bill saying it was, NOT EMERGENCY..even though he had a double skull fracture and a brain bleed… No one ever contacted us about the bill until January 2019. At that time I was informed they would be taking $220.00 from his small SOCIAL SECURITY check. He barely has anything…So now…He is not able to get the care he needs in a nursing home due to the garnishments on his social security. I have depleted all of his funds and my own to pay for his care….I have been on the phone every day since January, no one cares…and passes me on to another person. They don’t care.”
Hooker fell in October 2015 and was taken to Medina Regional Hospital. He had fractured his skull in 2 places and had a brain bleed.
“Doctors said it was an emergency that he go to BAMC, and he went by helicopter,” said daughter Jana Gentry. “They did tests and the brain bleed stopped after a few days. We never got a bill, until January of 2019, and it stated that it was in collection and that they would be taking a part of his social security beginning in May. I spent hours and hours on the phone to try and find out why Humana did not pay the bill. BAMC said it was Humana, Humana said it was BAMC. Now they are both blaming Hondo. Humana decided it was not an emergency, an 83 year old man on blood thinners with a brain bleed and 2 fractures on his skull.”
“So when it was time to get his tax return, it never arrived and when I called, they said it had been applied to the balance on the $60,000.00 bill. It was the money to pay for a few more months of him staying at home. So I had nothing for providers. He needs 24 hour a day care…and he did not qualify for any free help. So I decided to have him placed in a nursing home, and they turned him down because of the garnishments on his social security check. So I am stuck, no money to pay providers, no way to get him in a home.”
“My dad worked for the city for 33 years and always helped anyone at anytime. He loves our city and was always proud to work for the city. He started out as our town’s night watchman. He was our first deputy sheriff, he only had a badge, he said…no need for a gun or uniform. Then he went to work for the city as a garbage man and worked his way up to utility superintendent. He had every water and gas license he could have. He knows where every gas line in Devine is, even now. My mom passed away 18 months ago. They were married 63 years. She was his world. Now he has Alzheimer’s and stage 4 kidney disease, and we need some help.”
If you would like to help, you can find a link to donate online on Jana Gentry’s Facebook, or you donate to the love fund at Security Bank in Devine (previously Bank of Texas). The love fund is set up for Frank Hooker in care of daughter Jana Gentry.
