A debt collection trade group filed a complaint in federal court challenging a CFPB advisory opinion that warned debt collectors against seeking payment on unverified or potentially inflated medical bills. The trade group's complaint alleges that — among other things — the CFPB's medical debt collection guidance exceeds the agency's authority, imposes unlawful new compliance rules, is politically motivated, and imposes costly burdens.
Acadia Healthcare Co. has agreed to pay $19.85 million to settle allegations the company billed for medically unnecessary inpatient behavior health services, DOJ says. Acadia will pay $16.66 million to the federal government for false billing under federal health programs, and will pay $3.19 million to Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Nevada to resolve their state law claims.
America’s hospital system is severely fractured and facing a crisis, but all the finger-pointing has been in the wrong direction. Over the past several months, the U.S. hospital system has emerged as a battleground of crisis narratives, where finger-pointing at real estate investment trusts (REITs) has overshadowed the true crisis at hand.
The deal involving Ochsner Health was arranged by Undue Medical Debt, a donor-funded organization that negotiates with hospitals, doctors' offices and ambulance services to purchase and erase the outstanding medical debt of those least able to afford it.
A growing number of Alabama hospitals may soon lose inpatient services, most notably obstetrical and mental health care, due to seeking financial assistance from a federal program that comes with strict regulatory requirements. Concerns over the trend were expressed Thursday by Alabama State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris, who, during a meeting of the State Committee of Public Health, spoke to the growing number of hospitals seeking to participate in the federal program.