Gamma Knife of Spokane (Wash.), which specializes in treating skull-based tumors, malformations, disorders and pain using gamma radiation, is suing Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems, claiming the hospital operator underpaid for services provided to patients at Deaconess Medical Center in Spokane, according to KREM.
CHS bought Deaconess Medical Center in 2008 and sold the facility to Tacoma, Wash.-based MultiCare Health System in July. Gamma Knife of Spokane alleges CHS began underpaying for services in 2013. CHS "kept 70 percent of what they collected from Medicaid patients and healthy options patients and never reimbursed us, mislead us to believe that that's all we were getting paid and left town when they sold to MultiCare," Gamma Knife of Spokane Managing Partner Bo Cooke told KREM.
Mr. Cooke said Gamma Knife of Spokane and CHS exchanged hundreds of emails over the past four years regarding the payment issues, but CHS never resolved the problem, according to the report.
Gamma Knife of Spokane claims CHS owes them nearly $500,000.
CHS did not respond to KREM's request for comment.
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