By Marsha Austin, The Denver Post Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
Feb. 18--Two large consumer advocacy groups launched an investigation of Denver hospitals' billing practices Monday, alleging unfair pricing for uninsured patients.
The Los Angeles-based Council for United Latinos, a group that has conducted similar investigations in other U.S. cities, and the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative want to know how many uninsured patients hospitals have ned over to collection agencies over unpaid medical bills.
Starting today, the groups will run a radio advertisement on KXPK-96.5 FM, a Spanish-language station in Denver. The ads encourage people to call (800) 474-7576 they're having trouble paying medical bills. They also explain that hospitals charge those with health insurance one price and those without insurance another -- usually a much higher price.
The uninsured can pay up to five times the price that a private insurance plan or government health program would pay for the same medical procedure, according to the Council for United Latinos.
And when those patients can't pay, hospitals often send llection agencies after them who use the courts to garnishee wages and place liens against homes.
The Denver Post recently reported that in the past two years in Denver alone, hospitals sued at least 210 individuals for unpaid medical bills of $2,000 or more. d almost half of those being sued have Hispanic surnames -- something that caught the attention of K.B. Forbes, executive director of the Council of United Latinos, also known as Consejo de Latinos Unidos.
Forbes' nonprofit organization recently garnered national attention for its role in changing the pricing practices of the nation's second-largest hospital chain -- Tenet Healthcare.
Last month, Tenet agreed to discounts for uninsured patients, among other things, as part of a legal settlement with 10 California residents.
Now Forbes is looking to HCA, the nation's largest hospital chain and parent of Denver's HealthOne.
His organization has filed a complaint with the state's civil-rights division alleging civil rights violations by HCA and other Denver hospitals, he said during a news conference Monday.
And, with the Consumer Health Initiative, Forbes' group is calling on Denver's two largest hospital chains -- HealthOne and Centura Health -- to give uninsured patients the same discounts they give managed-care plans.
'It is deplorable behavior that the most vulnerable in our society -- the uninsured -- are being treated with strong-arm tactics,' Forbes said.
HealthOne officials declined to comment on the radio campaign, but said any change in pricing policies would have to be made by HCA.
HCA is considering changing how it charges those without insurance, but has not released any details and is waiting to see how the Tenet settlement plays out, said Linda Kanamine, HealthOne spokeswoman.
Centura Health is open to discussing its billing practices, said Laura Wegscheid, a spokeswoman.
'We'd be more than willing to sit down with those folks and hear their concerns and certainly examine our practices,' Wegscheid said.
In the meantime, Forbes and other patient advocates will meet with those who call the 800 number to review their medical bills, said Forbes.
The groups will publish a report on the hospital system's billing practices some time in the next two to three months, Forbes said.
To see more of The Denver Post, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.denverpost.com
(c) 2003, The Denver Post. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
HCA, THC,
