Business
Hospital settles unfair pricing suit
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Jan. 29, 2007
Catholic Healthcare West in San Francisco has reached a settlement involving unfair pricing for uninsured patients.
San Francisco Superior Court Judge Richard A. Kramer in January granted final approval to a settlement to the class-action suit that included 780,000 patients at all of Catholic Healthcare West's affiliate hospitals.
As part of the settlement, class members will be entitled to submit claims for refunds or bill reductions totaling 35% of their prior bills. The hospital, which admitted no wrong-doing, also agreed to offer discounted pricing for uninsured patients for the next four years. The settlement valued at $423 million includes all uninsured patients with an annual household income at or below $250,000 who received treatment from a Catholic Healthcare West hospital between July 1, 2001 and Sept. 25, 2006.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/01/29/bibf0129.htm.
