BronxCare Health System in New York has agreed to pay restitution to rape survivors and revise billing procedures as part of a legal settlement, state Attorney General Letitia James announced.
The settlement comes after an investigation revealed that the hospital illegally billed sexual assault survivors for forensic rape exams between Jan. 10, 2016 and Dec. 26, 2017, according to the attorney general's office.
Ms. James said in a news release that the investigation found BronxCare improperly billed 17 patients, billed the insurers of 10 of these patients, and sent 12 of the bills to collection.
Separately, emergency room physicians sent bills to 13 of these patients and sent 12 of the bills to collection, according to the office. Bills ranged from $35 to $1,957.
Ms. James said the investigation also showed BronxCare violated the law when it did not advise patients of their billing options.
To resolve the issue, BronxCare has agreed to implement a written policy to ensure the improper billing does not occur again and provide full restitution to any improperly billed rape survivors.
New York is conducting a statewide investigation of improper billing for rape exams.
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