All

Consumers in All and across the country face too many challenges when it comes to accessing the care they need. Find All #HealthCareReform stories here.

Select a State Below:

CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: Oklahoma Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail

Consumers for Quality Care, March 26, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 26, 2024 Contact: Press@Consumers4QualityCare.org CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: Oklahoma Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail   WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite being tax-exempt, nonprofit hospitals across the country are making big money at the expense of their patients. The Oklahoma Hospital Scorecard was created based on recent...

CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: Texas Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail

Consumers for Quality Care, March 26, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 26, 2024 Contact: Press@Consumers4QualityCare.org CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: Texas Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail   WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite being tax-exempt, nonprofit hospitals across the country are making big money at the expense of their patients. The Texas Hospital Scorecard was created based on recent...

New Jersey Consumer Faces Health Care “Perfect Storm”, Resulting in a $225,000 Bill

Consumers for Quality Care, March 13, 2024

A New Jersey woman spent over six years fighting a $225,000 hospital bill for a pacemaker according to NorthJersey.com. Seiko Bando was admitted to the emergency department at Christ Hospital in 2016 when it was discovered during a routine annual exam that she immediately needed a pacemaker. The procedure...

Consumers Caught in the Middle of Contract Disputes Between Insurers and Providers

Consumers for Quality Care, March 6, 2024

A recent contract dispute between a major insurer and a health system in California put consumers in peril, causing them to be unsure if there would be disruptions with their health insurance or future medical care, according to KFF Health News.  These occurrences are expected to become more frequent...

Colorado’s Largest Hospital System Utilizes Third-Party Agencies to Carry Out Predatory Debt Collection Practices

Consumers for Quality Care, March 6, 2024

A 9News/Colorado Sun investigation done in collaboration with the Colorado News Collaborative and KFF Health News found that for the last four years, UCHealth, Colorado’s largest nonprofit hospital system, has utilized a network of debt collection agencies to sue consumers over outstanding medical expenses, a practice that is considered...

Insurance Company Practice Prevents Utah Consumer From Affording Live-Saving Medication

Consumers for Quality Care, March 6, 2024

A cancer patient in Utah can no longer afford medication that keeps her cancer from progressing because of an insurance company practice that doesn’t credit payments made by drug manufacturers through copay assistant programs towards a consumer’s copay, according to Deseret News. For patients with chronic illnesses who require...

States and Counties Partner with Nonprofit to Eliminate Medical Debt  

Consumers for Quality Care, February 28, 2024

Residents in Alabama and in Wayne County, Michigan will see their medical debt eliminated, according to reporting by The Hill and Bridge Detroit.   RIP Medical Debt operates by negotiating with health care providers to buy medical debt for a fraction of the cost. To maximize the value of...

Pennsylvania Allocates $4 Million to Cancel State Residents’ Medical Debt 

Consumers for Quality Care, February 28, 2024

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro recently unveiled a plan to tackle medical debt in the Commonwealth, WHYY reports.   Unpaid medical bills constitute the largest share of debt collections in the United States. The situation is particularly acute in Pennsylvania, where an estimated one million residents collectively owe $1.8 billion...

Inconsistent Compliance with Federal Price Transparency Rules Found Among Colorado Hospitals 

Consumers for Quality Care, February 28, 2024

This month, the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing released a report showing that many hospitals in the state are likely not in compliance with federal price-transparency rules, according to The Denver Post. These federal rules consist mainly of two requirements: that hospitals publish price information online...

Providence Settlement Reveals Deep-Seated Issues in Nonprofit Hospitals 

Consumers for Quality Care, February 21, 2024

​​A recent settlement between Providence, a sprawling 14-hospital health system, and the Washington Attorney General is shining a light on the dubious practices of nonprofit hospitals, according to Healthcare Dive.   ​In what is being hailed as the “largest resolution of its kind in the country,” the agreement exposes...

Independent Pharmacies Closing as PBMs Continue Anti-Consumer Practices   

Consumers for Quality Care, February 21, 2024

Independent pharmacies in rural communities around the country are closing, due to the monopolistic practices of pharmacy benefit managers, also known as PBMs. This wave of closures has hurt small cities and rural areas in both Kansas and Kentucky, according to​ reports by​ NPR Kansas and WKYT.  ​​​There are...

Connecticut Governor Lamont Unveils Historic $650 Million Medical Debt Cancellation 

Consumers for Quality Care, February 21, 2024

In a historic move, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont has announced the cancellation of approximately $650 million in medical debt for 250,000 residents, making Connecticut the first state to provide such sweeping relief.   This groundbreaking initiative, as reported by CNN, addresses the financial strain caused by unforeseen health care...

Kentucky Journalist Shares Firsthand Struggles She’s Encountered with Prior Authorization 

Consumers for Quality Care, February 14, 2024

The Courier Journal’s Bonnie Jean Feldkamp, who suffers from an autoimmune disease, knows all too well about the prior authorization process, which can often hurt health outcomes by making it harder for patients to access crucial treatments.   Although prior authorization is meant to be a cost-control measure, patient...

Pennsylvania Program to Review Health Insurance Denials 

Consumers for Quality Care, February 14, 2024

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department recently launched its Independent Review Program, which aims to offer consumers another chance to have their medical appeal reviewed when their insurer has already denied an initial appeal for a medical procedure or medication, according to WHYY News.   The Independent Review Program will involve a...

Couple Charged Hundreds in Extra Fees for Routine Preventive Colonoscopy 

Consumers for Quality Care, February 14, 2024

An Illinois couple was charged hundreds of dollars for a routine preventive care colonoscopy that they believed would be covered by their insurance, according to KFF Health News.   Chantal Panozzo, 46, and Brian Opyd, 45, followed the medical recommendation to receive colonoscopies. As small business owners, they purchased their...

CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: California Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail

Consumers for Quality Care, February 13, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 13, 2024 Contact: Press@Consumers4QualityCare.org CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: California Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail   WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite being tax-exempt, nonprofit hospitals across the country are making big money at the expense of their patients. The California Hospital Scorecard was created based on recent...

Oklahoma Town Devastated by Medical Debt and Lawsuits 

Consumers for Quality Care, February 7, 2024

A regional hospital in rural Oklahoma has filed close to 5,000 debt collection lawsuits against the residents of this 18,000-person town since the early 1990s, according to KFF Health News.   Residents like Sherry McKee have been sued multiple times by McAlester Regional Medical Center. McKee was recently sued for...

New Jersey Governor Seeks to Combat Medical Debt 

Consumers for Quality Care, February 7, 2024

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is making it his priority to provide relief to state residents who are suffering from crippling medical debt, as reported by NJ Advance Media.  An estimated 11 percent of New Jersey residents have medical debt. The issue is more pronounced in communities of color,...

Hospitals, But Not Physician-Owned Clinics, Charge Facility Fees for Services 

Consumers for Quality Care, February 7, 2024

According to the Wisconsin State Journal, hospital-owned clinics have been charging patients facility fees, while doctor-owned clinics have not, even when those clinics are owned by the same health system.  Vicki McCool Anderson was in the process of scheduling an MRI for her husband through UW Health when she...

Proposed California Hospital Merger Collapses After FTC Files Lawsuit 

Consumers for Quality Care, January 24, 2024

John Muir Health, a nonprofit hospital in California’s Bay Area, inked an agreement early last year to become the sole owner of San Ramon Regional Medical Center, a lower cost competitor. Had the deal gone through, John Muir would have controlled more than 50% of inpatient general acute care...

Quick, Routine Telehealth Visit Results in Out-Of-Network Charge for One Consumer  

Consumers for Quality Care, January 17, 2024

A consumer seeking some quick medical advice via a telehealth visit through her usual health system was charged more than $600 for out-of-network care, according to KFF Health News.  After returning home from a trip to Rwanda, Elyse Greenblatt, 38, of Queens, New York, scheduled a telehealth urgent care...

New York State-Run Hospital Suing Patients Over Medical Debt

Consumers for Quality Care, January 10, 2024

An investigative report conducted by Syracuse.com and The Post-Standard finds that state-run hospitals in New York are engaging in aggressive and harsh medical debt collection practices. Harry Martin, 54, was receiving treatment from Upstate Medical University hospital for his pancreatic cancer. With just months to live, Upstate Medical sued...

New York Law Removes Medical Debt from Credit Reports

Consumers for Quality Care, January 10, 2024

Recent legislation signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul now prohibits medical debt from being included on consumer credit reports for New York residents, as reported by The Associated Press. When debt is included in a credit report, it hurts credit scores, limiting consumers’ access to credit and hurting...

CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: Arkansas Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail

Consumers for Quality Care, January 9, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 9, 2024 Contact: Press@Consumers4QualityCare.org CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: Arkansas Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail   WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite being tax-exempt, nonprofit hospitals across the country are making big money at the expense of their patients. The Arkansas Hospital Scorecard was created based on recent...

CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: North Dakota Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail

Consumers for Quality Care, January 9, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 9, 2024 Contact: Press@Consumers4QualityCare.org CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: North Dakota Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail   WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite being tax-exempt, nonprofit hospitals across the country are making big money at the expense of their patients. The North Dakota Hospital Scorecard was created based...

CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: South Dakota Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail

Consumers for Quality Care, January 9, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 9, 2024 Contact: Press@Consumers4QualityCare.org CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: South Dakota Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail   WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite being tax-exempt, nonprofit hospitals across the country are making big money at the expense of their patients. The South Dakota Hospital Scorecard was created based...

Donna M. Christensen – Many Ohio nonprofit hospitals are ‘nonprofit’ in name only

Consumers for Quality Care, January 5, 2024

As charities, nonprofit hospitals are exempt from paying most taxes. In exchange for tax breaks, nonprofit hospitals are expected to provide tangible benefits to the public. And if they adhere to their missions, if they provide charity care to the needy, if they serve as accessible health care providers...

Maryland Hospitals File Fewer Lawsuits Against Patients Over Unpaid Bills, But Many Consumers Still Find Themselves in Medical Debt 

Consumers for Quality Care, January 3, 2024

Although many hospitals in Maryland stopped suing patients over unpaid bills in 2023, many consumers, particularly those who can least afford it, find themselves struggling under the weight of medical debt, according to The Baltimore Banner.   A new state law requires that hospitals offer affordable payment plans to...

North Carolina Expands Medicaid, Helping 600,000 Residents 

Consumers for Quality Care, December 20, 2023

North Carolina recently joined 39 other states in expanding Medicaid, Healthcare Dive reported.   After debating Medicaid expansion for more than a decade, state legislators found middle ground and broadened Medicaid coverage to include 600,000 more people. This expansion targets low-income residents who previously earned too much to be eligible...

Bipartisan Effort in Ohio Seeks to Rein In Pharmacy Benefit Managers 

Consumers for Quality Care, December 20, 2023

In Ohio, Democrats and Republicans have found something that they can agree on. The largely Democratic city of Cleveland and the state’s Republican Attorney General are joining forces in a lawsuit against some of the largest pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in the country. They allege that these PBMs use...

Consumer Charged $2,400 for Routine Lab Work Performed in a Hospital

Consumers for Quality Care, December 13, 2023

Reesha Ahmed was eight weeks pregnant when she visited her OB-GYN at Texas Health Hospital Mansfield for a prenatal check-up. She was told to get some lab work done just down the hall from the office. Everything seemed routine, but as she learned later, the hospital charged her $2,400...

FTC Attempts to Block Proposed California Health Systems Merger

Consumers for Quality Care, December 13, 2023

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed an administrative complaint against John Muir Health to block its proposed acquisition of the San Ramon Regional Medical Center, according to reports by Healthcare Dive. John Muir already owns a 49 percent stake in San Ramon Regional Medical Center, a lower cost...

Nonprofit Hospital in Washington State Failed to Inform Eligible Consumers of Financial Assistance

Consumers for Quality Care, December 13, 2023

Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s investigation into PeaceHealth, a nonprofit Catholic health system, uncovered inconsistencies in how its hospitals informed low-income patients about their eligibility for charity care, Healthcare Dive reports. Increasingly, nonprofit hospitals are coming under scrutiny from policymakers. The concern is that these hospitals are shirking...

Donna M. Christensen – In Illinois, the term ‘nonprofit hospital’ is an oxymoron

Consumers for Quality Care, December 5, 2023

Re: “Northwestern, UChicago tax breaks under scrutiny in new report” (Aug. 14): Nonprofit hospitals deserve more scrutiny than they tend to receive. As nonprofits, these hospitals are exempt from paying most taxes, but in exchange for this exemption, they are expected to provide community benefits and charity care to patients in...

New York Bill Would Remove Medical Debt from Credit Reports

Consumers for Quality Care, November 29, 2023

Efforts are underway in New York to prohibit medical debt from being included on consumer credit reports, as reported by Spectrum News 1. A bill awaits New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s signature that would lessen the financial harm of carrying medical debt. “We know the impact that that can...

Cancer Patient Died After Michigan Health Insurance Company Refused to Cover Treatment

Consumers for Quality Care, November 21, 2023

Despite a Michigan law that guarantees coverage for cancer drugs, health insurers have been found skirting the law, using loopholes to deny treatment for consumers in need. In the case of Forrest VanPatten,  a cancer patient from Michigan, his insurer’s refusal to cover a drug therapy resulted ultimately in...

New York Cancer Patient Abandoning Critical Cancer Treatment Due to Cost   

Consumers for Quality Care, November 21, 2023

Russell Gosselin is one of the nearly 750,000 New Yorkers with medical debt. Although he has cancer, he is delaying critical treatment for fear of going further into debt, according to New York Focus. Gosselin was diagnosed with a form of throat cancer, which in 2017 forced him to...

Donna M. Christensen – Nonprofit hospitals must live up to their end of the bargain

Consumers for Quality Care, November 1, 2023

Although it’s often said that we live in a post-truth society, some ideas are so self-evidently true they remain uncontested. No one would argue that nonprofit organizations should engage in profiteering or that charities should treat those in need in uncharitable ways. Unfortunately, many nonprofit hospitals are pursuing their...

Colorado First State to Remove Medical Debt from Credit Reports

Consumers for Quality Care, October 11, 2023

Colorado recently became the first state in the country to enact a law that bars consumer reporting agencies from including medical debt in an individual’s credit reports, according to KOAA News. The medical debt crisis has had far-reaching negative effects on consumers in all 50 states. According to the...

Medical Debt Puts Housing Out of Reach for Millions of Consumers

Consumers for Quality Care, October 4, 2023

The medical debt crisis, which effects an estimated 100 million Americans, forces millions to cut back on essentials, such as food, utilities, and even housing, according to KFF Health News. In communities like Denver, housing prices have skyrocketed in recent years, putting housing out of reach for thousands of...

Arkansas Hospital Sued Consumers, Own Employees, During COVID-19 Pandemic

Consumers for Quality Care, September 27, 2023

Since 2019, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has been aggressively suing consumers, many of whom were once employees of UAMS, over small amounts of medical debt, according to CNN.   The CNN investigation chronicles the experiences of both employees and patients who received medical care at UAMS...

CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: Delaware Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail

Consumers for Quality Care, September 25, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 25, 2023 Contact: Press@Consumers4QualityCare.org CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: Delaware Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail   WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite being tax-exempt, nonprofit hospitals across the country are making big money at the expense of their patients. The Delaware Hospital Scorecard was created based on recent...

CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: Florida Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail

Consumers for Quality Care, September 25, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 25, 2023 Contact: Press@Consumers4QualityCare.org CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: Florida Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail   WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite being tax-exempt, nonprofit hospitals across the country are making big money at the expense of their patients. The Florida Hospital Scorecard was created based on recent...

CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: Indiana Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail

Consumers for Quality Care, September 25, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 25, 2023 Contact: Press@Consumers4QualityCare.org CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: Indiana Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail   WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite being tax-exempt, nonprofit hospitals across the country are making big money at the expense of their patients. The Indiana Hospital Scorecard was created based on recent...

CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: New Jersey Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail

Consumers for Quality Care, September 25, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 25, 2023 Contact: Press@Consumers4QualityCare.org CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: New Jersey Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail   WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite being tax-exempt, nonprofit hospitals across the country are making big money at the expense of their patients. The New Jersey Hospital Scorecard was created based...

CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: New York Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail

Consumers for Quality Care, September 25, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 25, 2023 Contact: Press@Consumers4QualityCare.org CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: New York Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail   WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite being tax-exempt, nonprofit hospitals across the country are making big money at the expense of their patients. The New York Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard was created...

CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: Ohio Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail

Consumers for Quality Care, September 25, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 25, 2023 Contact: Press@Consumers4QualityCare.org CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: Ohio Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail   WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite being tax-exempt, nonprofit hospitals across the country are making big money at the expense of their patients. The Ohio Hospital Scorecard was created based on recent...

CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: South Carolina Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail

Consumers for Quality Care, September 25, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 25, 2023 Contact: Press@Consumers4QualityCare.org CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: South Carolina Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail   WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite being tax-exempt, nonprofit hospitals across the country are making big money at the expense of their patients. The South Carolina Hospital Scorecard was created based...

Donna M. Christensen – Guest columnist: Profits over patients?

Consumers for Quality Care, September 21, 2023

Many of Kentucky’s hospitals are nonprofit organizations. These institutions receive significant tax breaks at the federal, state and local levels with the expectation that they will operate like charities, providing free and reduced-price health care to those in need and benefiting their communities in the process. Regrettably, many nonprofit...

Midwest Nonprofit Health System to No Longer Deny Care for Consumers with Medical Debt

Consumers for Quality Care, September 20, 2023

The Minnesota-based nonprofit health system, Allina Health, recently announced it would end its controversial practice of denying non-emergency medical care for patients that have medical debts in excess of $4,500, according to The New York Times. Prior to this announcement, Allina had instructed staff to cancel appointments and lock...

Minnesota State Lawmakers, Consumers Work to Stop Potentially Harmful Hospital Merger

Consumers for Quality Care, September 13, 2023

Minnesota-based hospital system Fairview Health Services recently abandoned, for the second time, its plan to merge with South Dakota-based Sanford Health Services, according to the Minnesota Reformer. Fairview Health Services abandoned this merger, citing a lack of support from “certain Minnesota stakeholders,” an allusion to the labor unions, elected...

St. Paul, MN Looking to Erase $110 Million in Medical Debt

Consumers for Quality Care, August 30, 2023

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter has proposed using leftover federal COVID-19 relief funds to erase millions in medical debt for residents, according to Axios. Medical debt has far-reaching implications for consumers already struggling to make ends meet. These individuals and families are more at risk of facing eviction and...

Medical Debt Hits Hardest Among Low-Income Marylanders and People of Color

Consumers for Quality Care, August 16, 2023

Roughly 17 percent of Maryland residents facing medical debt encounter compounded challenges, with a disproportionate amount of low-income consumers and communities of color affected, according to Maryland Matters. An October 2020 survey by Economic Action Maryland revealed that 12 percent of consumers had unpaid medical debt, with 26 percent...

State Officials Adding to the Medical Debt Crisis by Engaging in Predatory Collection Practices

Consumers for Quality Care, August 9, 2023

While state attorneys general have railed against predatory hospital billing and debt collection practices, they also serve as stewards of taxpayer dollars and collect on unpaid medical debt. Some state officials, like those in North Carolina, can even go as far as garnishing income tax refunds, disproportionally harming low-income...

Donna M. Christensen – Commentary: When it comes to profits, nonprofit hospitals are anything but charitable

Consumers for Quality Care, August 8, 2023

Many of Virginia’s hospitals are nonprofit organizations. These institutions receive significant tax breaks at the federal, state and local levels with the expectation that they will operate like charities, providing free and reduced-price health care to those in need and benefiting their communities in the process. Regrettably, many nonprofit...

Virginia Codifies Federal Hospital Price Transparency Rule Into Law

Consumers for Quality Care, July 26, 2023

Virginia has become the first state to codify into law the federal hospital price transparency rule implemented in early 2021, a move that experts believe will force hospitals in the state to disclose their prices, helping consumers to make informed decisions about their medical care, according to 13 News...

South Dakota Expands Medicaid for Thousands of Low-Income Adults

Consumers for Quality Care, July 26, 2023

South Dakota has expanded Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), making over 52,000 low-income adults eligible for health care coverage, Fierce Healthcare reports. Individuals between the ages of 19 and 64 with incomes below 138 percent of the federal poverty level are now eligible to apply for...

150,000 Arizona Consumers Losing Medicaid Coverage, Largely Over Procedural Reasons

Consumers for Quality Care, July 19, 2023

This year, Arizona removed 150,000 people from its Medicaid rolls, more than 75 percent of whom were removed solely for filing errors, according to Arizona Public Media. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, federal protections were enacted to prevent states from dropping consumers from their Medicaid rolls. But...

CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: Wisconsin Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail

Consumers for Quality Care, July 18, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 18, 2023 Contact: Press@Consumers4QualityCare.org CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: Wisconsin Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail   WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite being tax-exempt, nonprofit hospitals across the country are making big money at the expense of their patients. The Wisconsin Hospital Scorecard was created based on recent...

CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: Virginia Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail

Consumers for Quality Care, July 18, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 18, 2023 Contact: Press@Consumers4QualityCare.org CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: Virginia Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail   WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite being tax-exempt, nonprofit hospitals across the country are making big money at the expense of their patients. The Virginia Hospital Scorecard was created based on recent...

CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: Kentucky Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail

Consumers for Quality Care, July 18, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 18, 2023 Contact: Press@Consumers4QualityCare.org CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: Kentucky Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail   WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite being tax-exempt, nonprofit hospitals across the country are making big money at the expense of their patients. The Kentucky Hospital Scorecard was created based on recent...

States Intensify Efforts to Regulate Health Care Mergers

Consumers for Quality Care, July 12, 2023

California and New York are taking steps to further monitor health care mergers, introducing measures that empower state attorneys general to block deals and establish robust review processes, Axios reports. Beginning next year in California, health care systems proposing a merger will be required to provide a 90-day notice...

Health System Sues Consumer Over Unpaid Medical Bill She Never Received

Consumers for Quality Care, July 5, 2023

An uninsured consumer, with unstable housing and no permanent address, never received a bill for her emergency gallbladder surgery. Yet two years later, she was served with a lawsuit from the heath system for over $10,000 plus interest, according to KFF Health News.   In 2016, Bethany Birch of...

Delaware and New York Extend Postpartum Coverage For New Mothers 

Consumers for Quality Care, June 30, 2023

New York and Delaware are the latest states to extend postpartum coverage under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), according to HealthcareDive and WMDT-ABC.  In both states, people will be eligible to remain on Medicaid up to a full year after giving birth. Before this, people were...

Colorado’s Hospital Price Transparency Law Empowers Consumers

Consumers for Quality Care, June 28, 2023

Colorado has taken a significant step towards health care price transparency with a new law fining hospitals that fail to post their prices in easily accessible formats, according to CBS News. The law, which passed in the state legislature with bipartisan support, allows the state’s Attorney General to impose...

Los Angeles County Residents Owe More Than $2.6 Billion in Medical Debt

Consumers for Quality Care, June 28, 2023

A new analysis from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and reported by KFF Health News, found that about 810,000, or 1 in 10, adults in the county collectively owe more than $2.6 billion in medical debt, an indicator that expanding health care coverage is not enough...

Arizona Couple Finds Themselves Fighting to Correct Insurance Company’s Mishaps

Consumers for Quality Care, June 21, 2023

Colin and Lindsay Hanson moved to Arizona from the harsh cold of Michigan so that Colin, who lives with multiple sclerosis (MS), could have a better life. Unfortunately, they found themselves buried in medical bills, as reported by ABC 15 Arizona, due to confusion from their insurer regarding the...

Nonprofits Partner to Erase $25 Million in Medical Debt for Michigan Consumers

Consumers for Quality Care, June 21, 2023

Access Health Inc., a nonprofit health care organization based in Muskegon County, joined forces with RIP Medical Debt, another nonprofit, to alleviate $25 million in medical debt for over 40,000 individuals in the county, Crain’s Grand Rapids Business reports. The partnership aims to assist individuals who are financially vulnerable...

Midwest Nonprofit Health System Not Providing Care to Consumers with Medical Debt

Consumers for Quality Care, June 14, 2023

It’s nothing new for nonprofit hospitals to engage in predatory and aggressive tactics in order to collect medical debt. Yet a recent report from The New York Times found that Allina Health System, a wealthy nonprofit health system in Minnesota and Wisconsin, has taken aggressive debt collection tactics to...

Hospital Consolidation Led to Outrageous Medical Bill for Emergency Surgery

Consumers for Quality Care, June 14, 2023

When an American citizen now living overseas came back to America to attend his daughter’s wedding, his unplanned medical emergency led to his receiving a five-figure bill, according to KFF Health News.  Last summer, Leslie “Jay” Comfort and his wife, Nazuna Konishi Comfort traveled from Switzerland to Pennsylvania for...

New Orleans Takes Aim at Eliminating Millions in Medical Debt

Consumers for Quality Care, June 14, 2023

New Orleans has joined forces with RIP Medical Debt, a nonprofit organization, to forgive the medical debts of tens of thousands of city residents, Axios reports. For many, medical debt increases stress, wreaks havoc on their credit scores, causes them to delay necessary medical care, and can – and...

Company Aims to Resolve High Medical Debt Rates in North Texas

Consumers for Quality Care, June 7, 2023

Resolve, a medical debt solution company, is working to assist health care consumers in North Texas, according to D Magazine. North Texas – Tarrant and Dallas counties in particular – is the epicenter of the medical debt crisis in America. Medical services and procedures are priced much higher than...

Cook County Alleviates Financial Pressure on Thousands of Residents by Erasing Medical Debt

Consumers for Quality Care, May 24, 2023

Cook County, IL, which encompasses the greater Chicago area, has forgiven unpaid medical debts for thousands of residents, improving credit scores and reducing financial stress, WGN9 reports. For many, the burden of medical debt, which not only wreaks havoc on credit scores but also intensifies stress and compels individuals...

Chronic Illnesses, Such as Diabetes, Linked to Medical Debt

Consumers for Quality Care, May 24, 2023

NPR recently highlighted how residents in a region of the country, made up of hundreds of counties predominately in the South, are disproportionally burdened by medical debt. Of the 644 counties that make up the region, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fittingly calls the “Diabetes Belt,”...

Louisiana Experiencing the Highest Maternal Mortality Rate in the Country

Consumers for Quality Care, May 17, 2023

U.S. maternal mortality rates are twice as high for today’s mothers as they were a generation ago, and in Louisiana, poverty and inadequate access to care exacerbate these already alarming rates, according to CBS News. The World Health Organization’s statistics show that the U.S. has one of the highest...

Pennsylvania Hospital Closure Hurts Health Care Delivery

Consumers for Quality Care, May 10, 2023

The closure of Delaware County Memorial Hospital in suburban Philadelphia has hurt overall health care delivery for consumers, according to CBS News. The Pennsylvania Health Department shut down the hospital last fall because its owner, Prospect Medical Holdings, failed to maintain adequate staffing levels. Based out of Los Angeles,...

North Carolina State Legislative Package Aims to Protect Consumers from Medical Debt

Consumers for Quality Care, May 10, 2023

North Carolina State Lawmakers are considering legislation both to safeguard consumers against high medical debt and to provide certain patients access to free health care, according to My Fox 8. Referred to as the “Medical Debt De-Weaponization Act,” Senate Bill 321 and House Bill 367 seek to address the...

Oregon Lawmakers Aim to Ensure Nonprofit Hospitals Follow Charity Care Law

Consumers for Quality Care, May 10, 2023

In Oregon, state lawmakers are weighing a bill designed to ensure low-income consumers receive discounted medical care, Philomath News reports.    Under IRS rules, nonprofit hospitals are required to provide charity care, or quality health care care at a discount for consumers in financial need. Additionally, under Oregon law,...

In Colorado, Lawmakers Look to Improve Compliance of Hospital Price Transparency Rule

Consumers for Quality Care, May 10, 2023

In an effort to help enforce federal price transparency laws, the Colorado State Senate recently passed SB 252, Colorado Politics reports.   The bill, which passed the Senate 22-11, mandates that hospitals provide clear pricing information about procedures and services in a consumer-friendly format. It would also task the...

Insurance Company Continued Denial of Critical Treatment for Suicidal Teen

Consumers for Quality Care, May 3, 2023

A family’s desperate attempt to get their daughter critical life-saving treatment for depression turned into a nightmare situation with their insurance provider, according to NPR. Then 15-year-old Rose suffered from life-threatening depression, anxiety, and chronic suicidality, having already attempted to take her own life several times before her parents,...

Many North Carolinians Have Little Faith in Insurers Protecting Their Best Interests

Consumers for Quality Care, May 3, 2023

A new poll conducted by Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina found that over 30 percent of respondents said that their health insurance company does not have their best interests in mind, according to WRAL News. Half of consumers believe health insurance premiums are too high, while nearly a...

Four-Year-Old’s Bill Sent to Collections for Medical Care Never Administered

Consumers for Quality Care, April 19, 2023

A family was not only charged for medical care that was never administered for their four-year-old’s skin burn, but the bill was also ultimately sent to a debt collector. Furthermore, the parents were unable to dispute the charge since the bill was made out to the child, according to...

North Carolina Becomes the 40th State to Expand Medicaid

Consumers for Quality Care, April 19, 2023

North Carolina recently joined 39 other states in expanding Medicaid, Healthcare Dive reported. After debating Medicaid expansion for more than a decade, legislators found middle ground and broadened Medicaid coverage to include 600,000 more consumers. Before the expansion can go into effect, however, the state budget will need to...

CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: Michigan Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail

Consumers for Quality Care, April 19, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 19, 2023 Contact: Press@Consumers4QualityCare.org CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: Michigan Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail   WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite being tax-exempt, nonprofit hospitals across the country are making big money at the expense of their patients. The Michigan Hospital Scorecard was created based on recent...

CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: Louisiana Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail

Consumers for Quality Care, April 19, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 19, 2023 Contact: Press@Consumers4QualityCare.org CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: Louisiana Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail   WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite being tax-exempt, nonprofit hospitals across the country are making big money at the expense of their patients. CQC developed the Louisiana Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard based on...

CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: California Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail

Consumers for Quality Care, April 19, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 19, 2023 Contact: Press@Consumers4QualityCare.org CQC Nonprofit Hospital Scorecard: California Nonprofit Hospitals Earn a #HospitalFail   WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite being tax-exempt, nonprofit hospitals across the country are making big money at the expense of their patients. The California Hospital Scorecard was created based on recent...

Jim Manley: Opinion: It’s time to hold nonprofit hospitals in NC accountable

Consumers for Quality Care, April 5, 2023

Nonprofit hospitals are supposed to operate like charities, providing affordable health care to those in need while improving their communities. But the truth is that across the country – including here in North Carolina – nonprofit hospitals are implementing toxic policies that put profits ahead of patients. Recently, egregious, profit-seeking behaviors...

Colorado Bill Would Require Nonprofit Hospitals to Provide More “Community Benefit” Spending

Consumers for Quality Care, April 5, 2023

Colorado state lawmakers are considering a bill that would require nonprofit hospitals to meet specific standards for community benefit spending, according to The Denver Post. There are no federal requirements specifying exactly how much nonprofit hospitals must spend on community benefits. But if House Bill 23-1243 passes, Colorado’s nonprofit...

Pennsylvania May Require Insurers to Cover Telehealth Services

Consumers for Quality Care, March 29, 2023

State lawmakers in Pennsylvania are looking to require private insurance companies to cover telehealth services, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. As it stands, Pennsylvania is one of just seven states where insurers have no obligation to provide telehealth services, such as virtual checkups and remote monitoring of health conditions....

Pennsylvania Judge Revokes Nonprofit Hospital’s Property Tax Exemption

Consumers for Quality Care, March 29, 2023

Nonprofit hospitals in Pennsylvania are coming under more scrutiny, according to Spotlight PA. This month, a Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court judge revoked a property tax exemption for a nonprofit hospital in Southeastern Pennsylvania while also denying appeals from three others. Judge Christine Fizzano Cannon found that these hospitals, all operated...

Michigan Maternal Health Advocates Look to Pass the ‘Momnibus’ to Protect Black Mothers

Consumers for Quality Care, March 29, 2023

Maternal health advocates in Michigan are calling on state lawmakers to address racial disparities in care, according to Michigan Live. Across the nation, Black women die from pregnancy-related issues at a higher rate than white women. In Michigan, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related...

Hospitals and Insurance Providers Exploit Loopholes in No Surprises Act, Hurting Consumers

Consumers for Quality Care, March 22, 2023

The wording and fine print in contracts between insurers and hospitals may determine whether in-network or out-of-network costs apply, leading to surprise medical bills, according to NPR.  Danielle Laskey experienced a severe pregnancy complication and sought help from the Swedish Maternal & Fetal Specialty Center-First Hill, a specialized pregnancy...

Hospitals Are Closing Maternity Units That Hurt Their Bottom Line

Consumers for Quality Care, March 22, 2023

At a time when America faces a maternal health crisis, hospitals across the country are shutting down labor and delivery care units in an effort to reduce costs, according to The New York Times. Days before Christmas last year, the maternity unit at Astria Toppenish Hospital, in the Yakama...

Montana Expands Mental Health Screenings for Students

Consumers for Quality Care, March 22, 2023

Montana is taking steps to address its high suicide rate, particularly among children, by providing free mental health screenings for all students, according to Kaiser Health News. Montana resident Bella Nyman — who has lived with mental health issues for most of her life — believes that a mental...

Nonprofit Group Details Oregon Hospitals Not Following Charity Care Law in Report 

Consumers for Quality Care, March 22, 2023

A recent report from an Oregon-based nonprofit organization is shedding light on nonprofit hospitals that don’t follow the laws regarding charity care but instead engage in predatory debt collection practices aimed at low-income consumers, according to Becker’s Hospital Review.  Dollar For sets out to educate consumers on their rights...