Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Special Report: Axios Investigates Predatory Billing At Top US Hospitals
Axios: How America’s Top Hospitals Send Patient Costs Soaring
In February 2018, Stephen Swett went to the emergency room at Westchester Medical Center in New York seeking help for withdrawal from Suboxone, which treats opioid addiction. Swett — a 44-year old truck driver — says he sat on a gurney until he was discharged. Then in June of last year, the hospital filed a court summons, the beginning of its attempt to collect the $2,539.43 it said Swett owed for his trip. (McGhee and Chase, 6/14)
Axios: Most Top Hospitals Charge A More Than 5x Markup
Some of the hospitals with the highest revenue in the country also have some of the highest prices, charging an average of 10 times more than the actual cost of the care they deliver, according to new research by Johns Hopkins University provided exclusively to Axios. Hospitals each determine their own charges, or list prices. While few patients ever pay those prices, due to negotiated insurance rates, they do affect the uninsured and, experts say, ultimately influence the overall price we all pay. (Reed, 6/14)
Axios: Some Of America's Largest Hospitals Regularly Sue Their Patients For Unpaid Medical Debt.
More than a quarter of the 100 U.S. hospitals with the highest revenue sued patients over unpaid medical bills between 2018 and mid-2020, according to new research by Johns Hopkins University provided exclusively to Axios. The report suggests that, rather than being an anomaly, patient lawsuits are relatively common across the country and among the largest providers. (Owens, 6/14)
Axios: Big New York Hospitals Dominate List Of Hospitals That Sue A Lot
Among large hospitals that sue their patients, those in one state stand out: New York. “New York was the most aggressive region in the country in predatory billing,” said Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins professor and lead researcher on a new study detailing the billing practices of the 100 largest hospitals in the U.S. (Owens, 6/13)
Axios: Some Hospitals Turn To Liens Over Lawsuits
Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee has taken plenty of court actions in pursuit of getting paid for medical services provided. But in the last year, those efforts have taken the form of hospital liens. Froedtert offers a look at the different legal avenues large hospital systems use to collects on patient debt. (Reed, 6/14)
Axios: Public Spotlight On Hospital Lawsuits May Slow Them Down
Hospitals sued patients much less often in 2020 than in the previous two years, and there are signs that this may signify change that lasts beyond the pandemic, according to new research by Johns Hopkins University provided exclusively to Axios. Some hospitals that received a lot of negative publicity over their billing practices stopped suing patients altogether. (Owens, 6/14)
