More systems sued over handling of uninsured

Five more not-for-profit healthcare systems face class-action lawsuits on behalf of uninsured patients, according to Scruggs Law Firm, Oxford, Miss., which is part of a group of law firms that filed suits last week against 13 hospitals and health systems. Included in the latest round of litigation are Banner Health, Phoenix; Baylor Health Care System, Dallas; BJC Healthcare, St. Louis; Catholic Health Initiatives, Denver; and Resurrection Health Care, Chicago. The suits, all of which name the American Hospital Association as a co-defendant, claim that the hospitals breached a duty to provide charity care in exchange for their tax-exempt status and engaged in predatory pricing and collection practices. More suits are expected to be filed, according to a news release from the law firm. -- by Mary Chris Jaklevic