Evanston, Ill.-based NorthShore University Health System is accused of placing liens instead of billing patient insurance and Medicare, according to The Cook County Record.
Anna Kioutas, a Cook County resident, filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of herself and other patients NorthShore or its affiliates treated from 2009 to May 22, 2019.
The lawsuit includes people injured in third-party liability accidents. It alleges that NorthShore refused to properly bill Medicare and the plaintiffs' supplemental patient insurance providers, such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, and instead placed liens with "third-party tortfeasor(s) and/or their liability insurance carriers," according to the Record.
Ms. Kioutas — who received a lien after her stay at NorthShore's Skokie (Ill.) Hospital — reportedly is accusing NorthShore of violating the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act and breach of contract, unjust enrichment and intentional interference with a contractual relationship.
She and the other plaintiffs seek compensatory and punitive damages, along with an injunction, attorney fees and court costs.
NorthShore told Becker's it does not comment on pending legal matters.
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