Scanning the Headlines: Billing and Charity Care



Updated August 2005

Links to full-text articles are provided where available.
For information on obtaining print copies of articles, please call the AHA Resource Center at (312) 422-2050.

---

Anatomy of a Hospital Bill, Wall Street Journal, Lucette Lagnado, September 21, 2004

Sick of Hospital Bills, Time Magazine, Darne Fonda, September 20, 2004

Wrong Target on Health Care, Washington Post, Ellen Lutch Bender, September 3, 2004

Hospital whistle-blowers confess; Albany's Phoebe Putney has sued over faxes that doctor, accountant term a 'public service.', Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Andy Miller, September 16, 2004

Hospital sued by uninsured patient, Connecticut Post, Michael Mayko, September 14, 2004

Yale-New Haven Sued in Class Action; Hospital Accused of Unfair Treatment for Uninsured Patients, Hartford Courant, Garret Condon, September 14, 2004

Hospitals under assault over billing of uninsured patients, Post and Courier, Jonathan Maze, September 11, 2004

Not-for-profit hospitals sued over charges to uninsured; lawyer's coalition says hospitals are breaking promises that got them tax-exempt status, Florida Times-Union, Brandon Larrabee, September 7, 2004

Full-court press; Plaintiff lawyer Scruggs scored big in his litigation against Big Tobacco; now he's taking on hospitals, Modern Healthcare, Mark Taylor, September 6, 2004

Judge Sends Lawyers Back to Drawing Board - Asks for Stronger Conflict-of-Interest Provisions in Care Case, AP, September 4, 2004

Inova denies charges of price-gouging the uninsured, Washington Times, Jim McElhatton, August 28, 2004

Number of uninsured grows as hospitals defend prices, Dallas Morning News, Roger Yu, August 27, 2004

Hospitals sued over fees to the uninsured; The two West Philadelphia facilities said the suits, which seek relief for future patients, were baseless, Philadelphia Inquirer, Josh Goldstein, August 27, 2004

Hospitals sued for overcharging, Washington Times, Jim McElhatton, August 27, 2004

Are higher fees for uninsured fair? Hospitals defend the practices being challenged by lawsuits, Dallas Morning News, Roger Yu, August 24, 2004

Alabama gets into billing lawsuits, Modern Healthcare, Mark Taylor, August 23, 2004

Mississippi AG: Hospital settlement could lead to other agreements, AP, Holbrook Mohr, August 16, 2004

A not-so-free choice; Hospitals, AHA must decide whether to fight or settle uninsured billing cases, Modern Healthcare, Todd Sloane, August 16, 2004

LR hospital in class suit over prices to uninsured, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Noel Oman, August 13, 2004

Jefferson asks judge to dismiss care suit; Defending its charity spending, it said class-action lawyers should "seek their fortune elsewhere", Philadelphia Inquirer, Jeff Weinstein, August 13, 2004

Baylor files for dismissal; System says lawyer doesn't have grounds to sue over billing, Dallas Morning News, Roger Yu
August 12, 2004

Beginning of the end?; North Mississippi Health Services settlement of uninsured billing issues raises questions about future of hospital lawsuits, Modern Healthcare, Mark Taylor, August 9, 2004

Eyeing for-profits; Uninsured lawsuits filed against HCA, UHS, HMA, Modern Healthcare, Vince Galloro, August 9, 2004

Ohio hospitals skeptical of health-care settlement, Cincinnati Enguirer, Tim Bonfield, August 8, 2004

Lawsuits against hospitals spiking; Lawyers of uninsured patients say hospitals overcharge their clients; critics say suits exploit the health-care crisis, Philadelphia Inquirer, Josh Goldstein, August 8, 2004

Hospital gives uninsured a break; Miss. facility avoids lawsuit, USA Today, Julie Appleby, August 6, 2004

Lawsuit ends on care bills, Boston Herald, Jennifer Heldt Powell, August 6, 2004

Hospital chain settles dispute, Dallas Morning News, Roger Yu, August 6, 2004

Uninsured patients file class-action suits against HCA, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Bob LaMendola, August 6, 2004

Uninsured win $150 million pact, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Andy Miller, August 6, 2004

A victory for uninsured patients, Miami Herald, John Dorschner, August 6, 2004

Scruggs settles with Mississippi hospital over charity care, AP, Holbrook Mohr, August 6, 2004

Hospital Chains Sued Over Billing, Wall Street Journal, Paul Davies, August 6, 2004

Hospital Gives Uninsured a Break, Mississippi Facilty Avoids Lawsuit, USA Today, Julie Appleby, August 6, 2004

Nonprofit Hospital Agrees to Limits on Patient Fees, The New York Times, David Cay Johnston, August 6, 2004

Hospitals Can Provide Discounts to Uninsured and Needy Patients, Bush Administration Says, New York Times, Robert Pear, February 20, 2004

Hospital Found 'Not Charitable' Loses Its Status as Tax Exempt, Wall Street Journal, Lucette Lagnado, February 19, 2004

New York State Hospitals Agree To Cut Prices for Uninsured, Wall Street Journal, Lucette Lagnado, Feb. 2, 2004

Hospitals will give price breaks to uninsured, if Medicare agrees, Wall Street Journal, Lucette Lagnado, December 17, 2003

Hospitals Try Extreme Measures To Collect Their Overdue Debts, Wall Street Journal, Lucette Lagnado, Oct. 30, 2003

Improving Your Billing Process Should Be a Priority, Columbus Business First, Rick Bliha, October 20, 2003

Sticker Shock, National Journal, Marilyn Werber Serafini, Oct. 18, 2003

The $49,000 Hip and Other Oddities, CNN Money, Joan Caplin and Peter Carbonara, October 13, 2003

House Panel Begins Inquiry Into Hospital Billing Practices, Wall Street Journal, Lucette Lagnado, July 17, 200

Taming Hospital Billing, Wall Street Journal, Lucette Lagnado, June 10, 2003

Price-gouging Hospitals Sticking It To Uninsured, Immigrants, Chicago Sun-Times, Steve Neal, June 4, 2003

Review of Uninsured Billing Rules Urged, Denver Post, Marsha Austin, June 4, 2003

Yale Hospital Plans To Halt Foreclosure for Bill Collection, New York Times, Alison Leigh Cowan, May 9, 2003

After 20 Years and $16,000, a Hospital Debt is Cleared, Wall Street Journal, Lucette Lagnado, April 1, 2003

One Critical Appendectomy Later, Young Woman Has a $19,000 Debt, Wall Street Journal, Lucettte Lagnado, March 17, 2003

HCA to Offer Discounts to Uninsured, New Charity Care Plan, Associated Press, Karin Miller, March 12, 2003

Hospitals Overbill Uninsured, Groups Say, Denver Post, Marsha Austin, February 18, 2003

Uninsured Pay Higher Price, Denver Post, Marsha Austin, January 28, 2003

Hospitals Blame Losses on 'Charitable Care', Tallahassee Democrat, Nancy Cook Lauer, January 26, 2003

Tenet to Unveil New Protections for the Uninsured, Wall Street Journal, Rhonda L. Rundle, January 28, 2003