Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Northwell Health Backs Off Lawsuits For Unpaid Bills During Pandemic
The New York Times: One Hospital System Sued 2,500 Patients After Pandemic Hit
When the coronavirus began spreading through New York, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo ordered state-run hospitals to stop suing patients over unpaid medical bills, and almost all of the major private hospitals in the state voluntarily followed suit by suspending their claims. But one chain of hospitals plowed ahead with thousands of lawsuits: Northwell Health, which is the state’s largest health system and is run by one of Mr. Cuomo’s closest allies. (Rosenthal, 1/5)
Becker's Hospital Review: Northwell Rescinds 2,500 Suits Filed Against Patients To Collect Unpaid Debt
New York City-based Northwell Health will rescind thousands of lawsuits filed against patients for unpaid medical bills amid the pandemic, the system told Becker's Hospital Review. Vice President of Public Relations Barbara Osborn told Becker's that during the height of the pandemic in the spring of 2020, Northwell eased some patient collection activities and put a six-month pause on legal filings to collect unpaid debts. The pause took place from April through September. However, the lawsuits resumed in October. (Paavola, 1/5)
In other health industry news —
FierceHealthcare: UnitedHealthcare Cuts Envision From Its Provider Network
UnitedHealthcare is continuing a trend of pressuring physician staffing firms by cutting Envision Healthcare from its network. Envision said in a statement that its clinicians would no longer be in-network for UnitedHealth plans as of Jan. 1. Envision boasts 25,000 clinicians working in hospitals across 45 states and D.C. (Minemyer, 1/5)
Becker's Hospital Review: Renovations Prompt Los Angeles Hospital To Suspend Patient Care Services
Olympia Medical Center, an Alecto Healthcare hospital in Los Angeles, said it will suspend all patient care services, including the emergency department and emergency medical services, so it can complete substantial renovations. According to the facility's website, the emergency department won't provide services after 11:59 p.m. March 31, and some supplemental services may be suspended after Jan. 31. (Gooch, 1/5)
Becker's Hospital Review: Hospital Employees Report Pest Issue In Florida Hospital Kitchen
Two employees at Jacksonville, Fla.-based Memorial Hospital say roaches have been roaming the hospital's kitchen for about a month, local CBS and FOX affiliate Action News Jax reports. One of the employees, who requested to remain anonymous for fear of losing their job, sent the station pictures and videos showing roaches crawling around the hospital kitchen. (Carbajal, 1/5)
Also —
Becker's Hospital Review: Safety Protocol Reduces Self-Harm For At-Risk Emergency Room Patients
The implementation of a safety protocol helped to reduce self-harm for high-risk patients in the emergency department, according to findings published in the January issue of The Joint Commision Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. A research team from Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital developed the following safety precautions: created safe bathrooms, increased the number and training of observers, managed access to belongings, managed clothing search or removal, and implemented additional interventions for particularly high-risk patients. ... Before the protocol, there were 13 instances of attempted self-harm among 4,408 high-risk patients and six that resulted in actual self-harm. After the protocol was enacted, there were six episodes of self-harm among 4,523 high-risk patients, with one resulting in actual self-harm. (Carbajal, 1/5)
