Current:Home > StocksAfter Washington state lawsuit, Providence health system erases or refunds $158M in medical bills-InfoLens
After Washington state lawsuit, Providence health system erases or refunds $158M in medical bills
View Date:2024-12-23 15:11:00
SEATTLE (AP) — Providence health care system is refunding nearly $21 million in medical bills paid by low-income residents of Washington — and it’s erasing $137 million more in outstanding debt for tens of thousands of others — to settle the state’s allegations that it overcharged those patients and then used aggressive collection tactics when they failed to pay.
The announcement Thursday came just weeks before Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s case was set for trial against Providence Health and Services, which operates 14 hospitals in Washington under the Providence, Swedish and Kadlec names.
The state argued that the medical system’s practices violated the state’s charity care law, which requires hospitals to notify patients about the availability of financial aid and to screen them to see if they’re eligible for discounts before trying to collect payment.
“Hospitals — especially nonprofits like Providence — get tax breaks and other benefits with the expectation that they are helping everyone have access to affordable health care,” Ferguson said at a news conference. “When they don’t, they’re taking advantage of the system to their benefit.”
Providence has already erased about $125 million in medical debt following the state’s lawsuit two years ago, Ferguson said.
In a statement posted to Providence’s website, the organization said it was simplifying how it provides information about financial aid to patients and making the application process clearer.
“Charity care and financial assistance are vital resources for patients who cannot afford health care,” said Providence Chief Financial Officer Greg Hoffman. “Providence is committed to providing support to those who need it most, and we will continually evaluate our efforts and make sure they fully meet the needs of those we serve.”
Under the settlement, Providence will also pay $4.5 million to the attorney general’s office for legal fees and the costs of enforcing the charity care law.
The state is still pursuing related claims against two debt-collection firms Providence used.
veryGood! (516)
Related
- 24 more monkeys that escaped from a South Carolina lab are recovered unharmed
- Conjoined Twin Abby Hensel's Husband Josh Bowling Faced Paternity Suit After Private Wedding
- Zoe Saldaña and Husband Marco Perego Use This Code Word for Sex at Home
- UConn women back in Final Four. How many national championships have the Huskies won?
- Video ‘bares’ all: Insurers say bear that damaged luxury cars was actually a person in a costume
- Texas asks court to decide if the state’s migrant arrest law went too far
- Cicada-geddon insect invasion will be biggest bug emergence in centuries
- Trump Media sues Truth Social founders Andrew Litinsky, Wes Moss for 'reckless' decisions
- How to Build Your Target Fall Capsule Wardrobe: Budget-Friendly Must-Haves for Effortless Style
- Playboy Alum Holly Madison Accuses Crystal Hefner of Copying Her Book
Ranking
- 'Serial swatter': 18-year-old pleads guilty to making nearly 400 bomb threats, mass shooting calls
- Horoscopes Today, April 3, 2024
- What is next for billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott’s giving?
- Body found by hunter in Missouri in 1978 identified as missing Iowa girl
- A crowd of strangers brought 613 cakes and then set out to eat them
- Awe and dread: How religions have responded to total solar eclipses over the centuries
- Without Lionel Messi, Inter Miami falls 2-1 to Monterrey in first leg of Champions Cup
- Horoscopes Today, April 2, 2024
Recommendation
-
Two 'incredibly rare' sea serpents seen in Southern California waters months apart
-
Getting 'ISO certified' solar eclipse glasses means they're safe: What to know
-
Justice Department announces nearly $80 million to help communities fight violent crime
-
Hannah Waddingham Details Trauma From Filming Game of Thrones Waterboarding Scene
-
Sister Wives’ Christine Brown Shares Glimpse Into Honeymoon One Year After Marrying David Woolley
-
Netflix docuseries on abuse allegations at New York boarding school prompts fresh investigation
-
Judge finds last 4 of 11 anti-abortion activists guilty in a 2021 Tennessee clinic blockade
-
WWE WrestleMania 40 details: Time, how to watch, match card and more