February 1, 2024

One of the nation’s largest healthcare systems, Providence, has agreed to forgive more than $137 million in medical debt and refund more than $20 million to patients following a lawsuit by Washington State.  According to the Attorney General’s Office, between 2018 and 2023, Providence trained staff to demand payments from low income patients who were eligible for financial assistance, then sent some of those same patients to debt collectors even if they were Medicaid beneficiaries.  Almost 99,500 patients will receive relief as a result of this settlement, with the average refund amounting to about $478.  WA AG

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