Chicago Mayor To Minnesota Attorney General: Step Back From Accretive Probe
In response to a letter from Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Minn. Attorney General Lori Swanson vowed to press on in her investigation of Accretive Health, Inc. Meanwhile, Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., scolded the company.
Market Watch: Emanuel Steps In To Aid Accretive In Dispute
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has stepped in on behalf of an ailing health-care consultant in its current dispute with Minnesota authorities. Emanuel, former chief of staff to President Barack Obama, has written a letter to Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson asking that she try to negotiate directly with Accretive Health Inc., which is based in Chicago (Britt, 5/8).
(St. Paul) Pioneer Press: Despite Chicago Mayor's Intervention, Minnesota AG Says She Won't Back Off Accretive Probe
In April, Swanson released the results of her investigation of Accretive Health's relationship with the Fairview health system, saying the parties had engaged in overly aggressive billing tactics that included pressuring patients for payment in emergency rooms and maternity wards (Snowbeck, 5/8).
Minneapolis Star Tribune: Rahm Emanuel: Back Off Accretive Health Probe
Emanuel’s letter did not directly address any of the concerns Swanson’s report raised, but said Accretive Health “does important work for hospitals and good things for our City, particularly for our neediest citizens" (Mitchell, 5/8).
The Hill: Franken Chides Embattled Medical Debt Collector For Dragging Feet On Questions
Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) scolded one of the largest U.S. medical debt collectors for twice missing deadlines to defend its practices, which allegedly include pressuring patients to pay for emergency medical care before they receive it. "I am disappointed that Accretive [Health] still has not responded to my letter," Franken wrote CEO Mary Tolan on Tuesday (Viebeck, 5/8).
