Uninsured patients sue Chicago nonprofit hospital

A lawsuit filed Thursday claims a nonprofit hospital in northwest Chicago failed to provide charity care to two low-income, uninsured patients.

The case reopens a longstanding controversy in Illinois over whether hospitals are doing enough charitable work to qualify for lucrative tax exemptions.

The lawsuit claims Swedish Covenant Hospital repeatedly lost one patient's financial assistance application and threatened to send her bill to a collection agency.

It states the hospital incorrectly told another patient she was ineligible for assistance and demanded cash from her.

Swedish Covenant spokeswoman Leigh Ginther says every patient who is identified as uninsured is given an application for charity care and a personal explanation of the process. The hospital reported $6.2 million in charity care expenses last year, nearly 3 percent of its net revenue.

Source: http://www.wbez.org/news/uninsured-patients-sue-chicago-nonprofit-hospital-104105

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