Court Approves Sutter Health Billing Settlement
A Sacramento Superior Court judge on Tuesday granted final approval of a settlement reached in August between Sutter Health and uninsured patients who filed a class-action lawsuit alleging they were overcharged for services, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Kelly Dermody, an attorney for patients in the case, estimates that the settlement is worth at least $275 million.
Sutter likely will write off most of the money owed by the uninsured patients, according to the Bee (Kasler, Sacramento Bee, 12/13).
The settlement applies to uninsured patients who visited the hospital between September 2000 and August 2006. Patients will be entitled to refunds of 25% to 45% of their hospital bills (California Healthline, 8/4).
The settlement requires Sutter to maintain for another three years current discount policies for the uninsured (Sacramento Bee, 12/13).