ARE
ARE CONTINUING TO SLOW. WE'LL FLOAT CONDITIONS AND
DRIVE TIMES COMING UP.
>>> DOCTOR WOULD SEND THE
PATIENT OVER FOR AN EXAM.
WE WOULD STOP AND DEMAND MONEY
AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE IT, I
MEAN, IT'S PAINFUL.
THEY ARE VULNERABLE.
THEY ARE IN A VULNERABLE
POSITION.
POSITION.
POSITION. THEY HAVE BEEN SENT OVER.
THEY THINK THEY'LL BE SEEN
RIGHT AWAY AND GET THIS EXAM
AND I STOP THEM AND SAY,
NOBODY TOLD YOU THAT YOU HAVE
TO PAY $700 TODAY?
YOU WANT TO LOCK IN THAT
DISCOUNT.
DISCOUNT.
DISCOUNT. ROUGH.
ROUGH.
ROUGH. >>> A FORMER CLINICAL WILL PAY
FORMER PATIENTS MONEY.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS PUSH
THAT HAD LAWSUIT FORWARD.
>> CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT
EXACTLY HAPPENED HERE BECAUSE
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT CAPITAL
MEDICAL CENTER.
MEDICAL CENTER. IT WAS BREAKING THE LAW?
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
THEY ARE A FOR-PROFIT ENTITY.
WASHINGTON STATE LAW REQUIRES
THAT YOU PROVIDE CHARITY CASE
FOR SOMEONE WHO MAY NOT BE
ABLE TO AFFORD MEDICAL
TREATMENT, IF THEY CAN MEET
CERTAIN GUIDELINES.
CERTAIN GUIDELINES. YOU KNOW, THAT ARE HOSPITAL
DID NOT MEET THAT.
THEY COLLECT.
THEY COLLECT. >> THIS IMPACTED A WOMAN WHO
SAYS, YOU NEED HAVE GET
CHECKED OUT BECAUSE YOU MAY
HAVE CANCER WITH YOUR UTERUS.
SHE WENT IN.
SHE SAID, SORRY, YOU HAVE NOT
PAID.
PAID.
PAID. THEY MADE HER PICK UP HER
CREDIT CARD AND SAY, PAY NOW
OR THEY'LL CANCEL.
>> HOW DID THAT GET TO THE
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE?
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE? >> YOU KNOW, THEY CALLED US.
THE LAW REQUIRES HOSPITALS TO
INFORM PATIENTS, WHAT'S YOUR
INCOME LEVEL?
INCOME LEVEL? MOST FOLKS DON'T NEED IT BUT
THOSE WHO DO, THIS CAN BE THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PAYING THE
BILLS OR NOT PAYING BILLS.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. >> HOW ARE YOU GETTING PEOPLE
TO SAY, HEY, I THINK EYE MIGHT
BE AFFECTED BY THAT?
>> THAT'S A REALLY GOOD
QUESTION.
QUESTION.
QUESTION. >> WE DON'T KNOW WHICH FOLKS
WHO PAID BETWEEN 2012 AND 2016
WHO PAID FOR MEDICAL COVERAGE
WERE ELIGIBLE FOR CHARITY
CARE.
CARE.
CARE. WHAT IS HAPPENING THAT 34,000
LETTERS ARE GOING OUT FOR
PEOPLE WHO SAID FOR HEALTH
COVERAGE DURING THAT TIME MANY
IF YOU GET THAT LETTER, CHECK
THE CHART AND SEE IF YOU WERE
HE WILL GYM FOR CHARITY AREA.
IF YOU WERE, SIGN IT AND YOUR
MEDICAL DEBT CAN BE WAIVED.
WHAT'S THE DEFENSE?
>> THERE IS NO DEFENSE.
THEY WOULD NOT BE PAYING MORE
THAN A MILLION DOLLARS TO THE
STATE AND POTENTIALLY MILLIONS
BACK TO THE PATIENTS AND THOSE
FOLKS WHO CAN BE IDENTIFIED
UNLESS THEY FELT THEY SHOULD.
>> SHOULD I KNOW THAT CHARITY
CARRIES AVAILABLE AT ANY PLACE
THAT I GO?
OR ANYONE ASKS ME TO PAY UP
FRONT, SAYING, WAIT, YOU CAN'T
DO THAT.
DO THAT.
DO THAT. >> ALL OF THE ABOVE.
THIS IS THE SECOND CASE
RECENTLY.
RECENTLY.
RECENTLY. WE HAD THIS CASE IN ST. JOE SO
IN TACOMA.
IN TACOMA. THIS IS A COMMON PRACTICE IN
THE INDUSTRY NOT TO INQUIRE
ABOUT YOUR INCOME LEVEL.
IF YOU ARE RELATIVE LOW INCOME
PERSON, NO THAT YOU ARE
ELIGIBLE FOR CHARITY CARE.
IF SOMETHING HAS GONE WRONG,
NOTIFY MYSELF.
NOTIFY MYSELF. THIS CAN ELIMINATE MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS IN MEDICAL DEBT THE
FOR THOUSANDS OF
WASHINGTONIANS.
WASHINGTONIANS. >> WHO DO YOU BLAME?
>> THIS INSTITUTION IS A FOR-
PROFIT AND THEY PUT THEIR
PROFITS OVER PATIENTS.
AN EMPLOYEE SAID, THEY WERE
ASKED TO ASK FOR MONEY EVERY
TIME.
TIME.
TIME. THIS IS A MORALLY BANKRUPT
POLICY.
POLICY.
POLICY. >> DID YOU THINK IT'S STILL
GOING ON ACOTS OTHER
HOSPITALS.
HOSPITALS. >> WE DON'T TALK ABOUT OUR
ONGOING INVESTIGATION BUT I
WOULD SAY THIS IS THE SECOND
CASE IN ABOUT TWO YEARS AS
MAJOR HOSPITAL VIOLATING THE
LAW IN A WILLFUL AND REPEATED