Lawmakers request client list from Accretive

Members of the U.S. House asked Accretive Health's CEO for a list of clients and information on the company's policies on compliance with federal emergency room access, patient privacy and debt collection laws.

The far-reaching request comes ahead of a scheduled May 4 congressional briefing by Accretive Health, the Chicago-based healthcare billing and collection company facing questions about its practices after an investigation by Minnesota's attorney general.

Results of the Minnesota attorney general's inquiry, released last week in a six-volume report, suggest the company violated federal laws while under contract at Fairview Health Services, Minneapolis, and the findings raise questions about how common such practices may be, said Reps. Henry Waxman, (D-Calif.), Diana DeGette, (D-Colo.), and G.K. Butterfield, (D-N.C.), in a letter to Accretive CEO Mary Tolan (PDF).

“One of our most important questions is the extent to which these practices may be more widespread than this single health system,” the letter said regarding the company's debt collection practices.

Accretive aggressively collected from emergency room patients before they received treatment, a potential violation of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, and the company's collectors had access to patients' medical information, the Minnesota report said.

Accretive Health has rejected the attorney general's report and said findings “grossly distort and mischaracterize” its services.

The representatives' letter requests that Accretive Health provide by May 14 a list of clients as well as information on guidance related to patient registration and collection efforts prior to treatment; policies and procedures related to EMTALA, federal private and debt collection laws; information on complaints and how the company estimates prices and patient bills; policies about refunds and information about whether its practices are standard across the industry.

The company faces interest on other fronts. Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) last week called for HHS and the CMS to investigate Accretive Health. Illinois' attorney general has launched an inquiry.

Accretive Health declined to comment, a spokeswoman said.