Memorial Medical Center in Las Cruces, N.M. — a 200-bed facility operated by Lifepoint Health — has been accused of turning away cancer patients, or demanding upfront payments before providing care, according to a June 5 report from NBC News based on interviews with patients and current and former clinicians.
The news outlet spoke with 12 cancer patients who say they were denied care or asked to come up with payments before care could begin. Seven current and former clinicians at the hospital "described a facility in which both insured and uninsured patients requiring an array of treatments were regularly met" with these scenarios. Physicians' notes aligned with some of the allegations, according to the report.
Brentwood, Tenn.-based Lifepoint Health is the largest chain of mostly rural hospitals in the U.S. It operates 62 acute care facilities in 16 states and is backed by private equity firm Apollo Global Management. Memorial Medical Center's lease with Las Cruces and Dona Ana County stipulates that the facility generally must provide care "to those unable to pay the full cost of healthcare services rendered to them." Under New Mexico law, qualifying hospitals are required to accept "every indigent patient" who seeks healthcare.
According to NBC News' report, documents obtained through an open records request show the hospital's indigent care said it should provide care to patients unable to cover the full costs of their treatment, as well as provide discounts or cost-sharing arrangements for patients with certain incomes. That policy covered cancer treatments until 2023, five years after Apollo took over Lifepoint Health.
The hospital did not notify the city and county in writing about the change to exclude cancer from its indigent care policy, but did so verbally, a spokesperson told NBC News. The hospital's lease requires it to notify local officials of changes to services, and documents indicate it had previously always done so in writing.
Memorial Medical Center's CFO, Laura Thomas, told the news outlet it does not turn patients away.
"Many of the assertions being made about Memorial's practices, conduct and communications with patients are factually inaccurate," a Lifepoint spokesperson said in a statement to NBC News. "Lifepoint Health is committed to a mission of making communities healthier, and we are proud of the entire team at Memorial Medical Center for the integral role they play in supporting the Las Cruces community."
A spokesperson for Apollo did not provide NBC News a comment for the story.
The accusations point to changes that can occur when for-profit entities take over operations at healthcare organizations. Independent studies have indicated costs increase for patients and providers after private-equity involvement. Research has also linked private-equity firms' investments to lower-quality care.
Private equity's role in healthcare is the subject of two Senate investigations. The probes include Lifepoint. A spokesperson for Lifepoint told NBC News that Memorial has not received any information requests related to the Senate investigations.
Becker's has reached out to Lifepoint and will update this article if more information becomes available.