WASHINGTON. – Providence hospitals in Washington State must give nearly 100,000 patients $158 million in refunds and debt relief.
This stems from a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Bob Ferguson. Ferguson said Providence hospitals regularly pressured patients into paying medical bills out of their own pocket, even if those patients qualified for financial assistance under state law.
The law in question requires hospitals to offer charity, discounted or reduced-cost medical care to patients who can’t afford the whole bill.
Each patient affected will receive roughly $478, but the payout will differ from case to case.
