An uninsured woman who went to Portland-based Oregon Health & Science University Hospital's emergency room was charged $31,000 for her visit, and now she is suing the hospital alleging it charged her and other uninsured patients significantly higher rates than it would have charged an insurance company for the same services, according to The Oregonian.
In her lawsuit, Claire Amos says the hospital's practice of charging uninsured patients more than private insurers, Medicaid or Medicare is "unconscionable." Ms. Amos signed a contract last April when she went to the hospital's ER, but she claims it didn't list prices or inform her she would be billed more than insured patients. She alleges she didn't learn of the "inflated prices" until she received her hospital bill the following month.
The lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, asks for an estimated $7 million for Ms. Amos and hundreds or possibly thousands of uninsured patients who were charged the dramatically higher amounts.
An OHSU spokeswoman declined to comment on the pending litigation on Monday, according to the report.
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