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Tuesday, November 21, 2023

AG Ferguson: PeaceHealth will return up to $13.4 million to patients who should have received financial assistance

Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today that hospital chain PeaceHealth is refunding up to $13.4 million to more than 15,000 low-income patients of its five western Washington hospitals.

The refunds are a result of an Attorney General’s Office investigation into the hospital chain’s financial assistance and collection practices. 

Ferguson’s investigation found that PeaceHealth billed thousands of low-income patients who likely qualified for financial assistance without informing them of their eligibility.

PeaceHealth operates hospitals in Bellingham, Friday Harbor, Longview, Sedro-Woolley and Vancouver. This resolution impacts patients at all five hospitals.

Starting in July 2022, four million Washingtonians are qualified for free or discounted care at hospitals across Washington as a result of legislation that Ferguson requested.

The legislation requires large hospital systems to provide more financial assistance. Approximately half of all Washingtonians are now eligible for free or reduced-cost care at hospitals that represent approximately 80 percent of the licensed beds in the state.

Ferguson worked with prime sponsor Rep. Tarra Simmons, D-Bremerton, and Reps. Eileen Cody, D-Seattle, and Nicole Macri, D-Seattle, on HB 1616 to strengthen Washington’s law.



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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousNovember 22, 2023 at 11:31 AM

    Thank goodness Washington state has a pro-active attorney general! I have friends in other states who are suffering from serious health issues and being denied care by so-called Medicare Advantage plans. I am so sick of corporate greed!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Just My OpinionNovember 28, 2023 at 8:26 PM

    Another religious organization that seems to have forgotten "charity" as part of the mission

    ReplyDelete

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