Catholic health system agrees to settle lawsuit over pricing policy

Published: 2006-06-19

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- A Catholic health system with 41 hospitals in California, Arizona and Nevada has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging that its billing and collection practices discriminated against the uninsured. Catholic Healthcare West, based in San Francisco, admitted no wrongdoing in the case, saying in a statement that it settled the suit "to put this matter behind us, avoid the cost of litigation and focus our resources on caring for patients." The proposed settlement requires the approval of San Francisco Superior Court Judge Richard A. Kramer, who scheduled a hearing for July 12. Catholic Healthcare West is the eighth largest nonprofit hospital system in the U.S. and one of the largest Catholic systems in the country. The settlement would allow any uninsured patient treated at a Catholic Healthcare West hospital since July 1, 2001, and making less than $250,000 in gross household income during the treatment year, to apply for a retroactive reduction in hospital charges, up to 100 percent of the amount paid.

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