Brigette Honaker  |  March 6, 2020

Category: Legal News

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Stethoscope on money (hospital bills)A recent class action claims that St. Joseph Hospital hits vulnerable patients with “outrageous” liens in violation of federal law.

Plaintiff Nancy Binnell claims she was treated at St. Joseph Hospital for “ghastly injuries” after she was hit by a car while crossing the street with her dog in May 2018.

Her injuries reportedly included a traumatic brain injury, a fractured right ankle, spine fractures, rib fractures, lacerations, disfigurement, scars, bruising, back pain, and emotional distress.

For weeks, Binnell was allegedly subjected to a difficult recovery. Even after her release from the hospital in June 2018, she reportedly faced years of therapeutic recovery.

As a woman over the age of 65, Binnell’s injuries and treatment were covered under federal Medicare coverage. Although this coverage provides benefits for millions of Americans, Medicare reimbursement rates are significantly lower than those provided by a private insurance company.

After being faced with the gap between Medicare’s reimbursement and their own “self-enriching, inflated cost of providing care,” St. Joseph Hospital allegedly turned to Binnell for more compensation.

In August 2018, the plaintiff reportedly received a notice of statutory lien claims from the hospital for around $190,000. Binnell claims that St. Joseph Hospital doesn’t assert these liens for honest reasons but instead uses these threats to obtain money unrightfully from innocent victims.

“Defendants know that the law does not permit them to collect such liens,” Binnell claims in her St. Joseph Hospital class action lawsuit.

“Federal law forbids medical providers registered for Medicare services to balance bill patients for sums not reimbursed by Medicare, and further bars Defendants from seeking reimbursement from a patient once a Medicare claim has been made.”

Binnell argues that these liens victimized her and other patients twice. First, they were forced to seek emergency treatment from St. Joseph hospital after catastrophic injuries. After patients spend weeks or months with their very survival in question, St. Joseph Hospital allegedly victimizes them again with bad faith liens.

“With the victim recovering from injury and burdened by the financial fallout of his or her injuries, Defendants take advantage of the victim’s vulnerable circumstances by asserting liens for outrageous amounts they cannot legally collect,” the St. Joseph Hospital class action claims.

“By engaging in these unfair practices, Defendants are able to double-dip: They obtain the full amount of their contracted Medicare reimbursement, and obtain additional funding after extracting a ‘settlement’ of their bad faith lien claims.”

Binnell seeks to represent a Class of California Medicare recipients who were hit with liens from St. Joseph Hospital seeking compensation above what was provided in Medicare reimbursements. She also seeks to represent a subclass of the same consumers who are over the age of 65.

Were you hit with significant healthcare bills by St. Joseph hospital or another healthcare system? Let us know in the comments section below.

Binnell and the proposed Class are represented by Richard D. McCune and Steven A. Haskins of McCune Wright Arevalo LLP.

The St. Joseph Hospital Class Action Lawsuit is Binnell v. St. Joseph Hospital Orange, et al., Case No. 8:20-cv-00447-DOC-ADS, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

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5 thoughts onSt. Joseph Hospital Class Action Alleges Unlawful Bills

  1. Roberta johnston says:

    Ohio. It’s on my credit report even though I have medicare and medicaid.

  2. Patricia Bullion says:

    NY?

  3. Patricia Bullion says:

    Is this for NewYork?

  4. Brittney Joseph says:

    Add me

  5. Larry Carson says:

    Add me .

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