DETROIT – We're hearing some debt collection horror stories in a place where you're most vulnerable: the hospital.
Minnesota's attorney general has released documents obtained in a lawsuit from one of the nation's largest collectors of medical debt. That company is Accretive Health. Here in Detroit, the Ruth to the Rescue unit has confirmed the company has contracts with Henry Ford, Beaumont, and St. John-Providence health systems.
The documents released in Minnesota show tough tactics allegedly used on patients while they're in the hospital by Accretive Health. Tactics that include embedding debt collectors inside emergency rooms and demanding that patients pay up before they receive medical treatment.
Sources inside Henry Ford Health System tell us Accretive employees have been in Henry Ford emergency rooms. A local former Accretive employee says her former co-workers are aggressive in their pursuit of debt collection, and are "In it, to win it."
Henry ford would not answer our questions about how Accretive does business, but it did release this statement.
It says in part, "All of our emergency departments provide treatment without regard for ability to pay. Last year, we provided $210 million dollars in uninsured care."
Our Local 4 Facebook page is filled with medical debt collection horror stories. We contacted Kari Rushlow and spoke with her on the phone. She told us, "I was in the hospital for a miscarriage and they came to me with a form to sign,... it was pretty upsetting. I was already going through an emotional time so I was pretty upset and overwhelmed."
Rushlow was not at Henry Ford, and does not think that debt collector worked for Accretive, but her encounter is an example of the tense medical debt collection climate.
Others on Facebook say medical debt collection is a necessary evil. Monica Olberg writes -- "The reason they do things like this (which I don't agree with) is because there really are unscrupulous people who will go into the e-r knowing they can't pay."
The Ruth to the Rescue unit contacted Accretive today, and they would only release this statement, here in its entirety, "We have a great track record of helping hospitals to enhance their quality of care. We have helped over 250,000 patients get insurance coverage."
Henry Ford's entire statement:
"At Henry Ford Health System, we are committed to ensuring we comply with all state and federal regulations and our System values when collecting payments for services. All of our Emergency Departments provide treatment without regard for ability to pay. Last year, we provided $210 million in uninsured care. We also help patients who are eligible for state or federal health care insurance to apply to these programs. We will continue to monitor our procedures to ensure they are consistent with our policies."
St. John-Providence's entire statement:
"St. John Providence contracts with Accretive Health for revenue cycle services, and they provide certain management functions within our billing department. Accretive employees do not interact with patients in our hospitals."
Beaumont's entire statement:
"Beaumont has a management services agreement with Accretive Health where they recommend revenue cycle process improvements. Under this agreement, Beaumont maintains administrative oversight of its revenue cycle staff, decision-making and policies, including collections."
