Colorado Man Shocked After Receiving Medical Bill Two Years After ER Visit for Eating Extreme Hot Sauce

Maxwell Kruzic believed his ordeal was finally over when doctors ruled out appendicitis and discharged him from the emergency room in Durango, Colorado. The 37-year-old had arrived doubled over in agony, gripped by what he later described as the 'worst stomach pain of his life.'

What he could not have imagined was that the nightmare would resurface nearly two years later, not as pain, but as a sudden four-figure medical bill landing in his inbox long after he thought the case was closed.

The Hot Sauce That Sent Him to the ER

On 5 October 2023, Kruzic drove himself to Mercy Regional Medical Center after being forced to pull over twice on the way due to crippling abdominal pain. Emergency staff rushed him through blood tests and a CT scan, fearing he was facing emergency surgery.

Instead, imaging revealed a perfectly normal appendix and no obvious explanation for his suffering. The breakthrough came with a simple question: what had he eaten?

Kruzic explained he had made tacos topped with a homemade hot sauce using scorpion peppers grown from seeds ordered through a chilli pepper research institute. The peppers measure more than two million Scoville heat units, placing them among the hottest on the planet.

Doctors concluded the extreme spice had likely inflamed his digestive system, triggering pain intense enough to mimic appendicitis. After several hours, the agony subsided, and Kruzic was sent home with medication for nausea.

For months afterward, everything appeared resolved. Both hospital and insurance portals showed a zero balance.

The Bill That Appeared Nearly Two Years Later

Then, in September 2025, a bill for more than $2,400 (£1,900) suddenly arrived. The total charges exceeded $8,000 (£6,300), including almost $6,000 (£4,700) for the CT scan alone.

Kruzic, a geological consultant accustomed to managing timelines, contracts and data, was stunned. He had repeatedly checked with both his insurer, UnitedHealthcare, and the hospital and had been assured the matter was settled.

'This would never fly in any other industry,' he said, likening the situation to invoicing a client years after completing a project.

His case was later featured by KFF Health News as part of its Bill of the Month series, which examines unusual and troubling medical charges faced by patients across the United States.

Both hospital operator CommonSpirit Health and UnitedHealthcare cited administrative issues and payment disputes as the reason for the delay. Within hours of KFF Health News requesting comment, Kruzic received a call informing him that his balance had been adjusted back to zero.

When Extreme Heat Mimics a Medical Emergency

While the billing saga exposed flaws in medical administration, Kruzic's experience also highlights a lesser-known health risk. Consuming ultra-hot peppers can cause severe gastrointestinal irritation and pain so intense it can resemble a surgical emergency.

The Cleveland Clinic explains that capsaicin, the compound responsible for heat, can inflame the lining of the stomach and intestines when consumed in large quantities. Doctors say symptoms usually resolve on their own, but the pain can be dramatic, especially with peppers far hotter than those typically found in restaurant food.

Kruzic says he has not abandoned spicy food entirely. But one change is permanent.

Scorpion peppers, he insists, are now firmly off the menu.