A class-action lawsuit brought on behalf of two low-income men alleges Northwest Hospital & Medical Center in Seattle fails to properly screen patients for charity care in violation of the Washington state Charity Care Act, according to The Seattle Times.
The two men, Kamal Amireh and Hugo Cabrera Villalobos, sought emergency services at Northwest Hospital, which is operated by Seattle-based University of Washington Medicine. The lawsuit alleges that staff failed to screen both men to determine if they qualified for charity care.
When Mr. Amireh, a cab driver, failed to pay his medical bill of nearly $4,000, the hospital sent the debt to a collection agency. Mr. Villalobos, a cook, owed the hospital $1,400. When he failed to pay his bill it was also sent to a collection agency. Subsequently, both men's wages were garnished, according to the report.
The suit seeks damages for the two men and others in their situation. It also requests that the court order Northwest Hospital to stop demanding payment from underinsured and uninsured patients without first determining if they qualify for financial assistance.
Northwest Hospital officials are looking into the allegations made in the suit.
"Northwest Hospital has always been committed to providing treatment to patients regardless of their ability to pay," officials said in a statement, according to The Seattle Times. "We have financial counselors who work closely with our patients to help investigate all payment sources that might be available including Medicaid and charity care."
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