Colorado man files class-action suit over hospital’s billing practices

Though the consumer-driven health care movement is not progressing as much as employers and health care providers would like, there is still some progress being made. Case in point: a Colorado man is taking a stand against surprise billing practices.

The man, Franklin Walter, is accusing Centura Health of not providing out-of-pocket cost estimates prior to non-emergency procedures, and is asking for $5 million on behalf of all patients similarly affected since 2017. Following his own knee replacement procedure in April 2019, Walter received a bill for $1,216, a cost he believes should have been disclosed as part of the contract he signed with the health care system when he agreed to treatment.

Related: Jury deems Centura Health $230K surgical bill ‘unreasonable,’ awards $766

Under the terms of the contract, patients agree to pay “all known and unknown costs,” and in exchange, the health care system is required to provide an estimate of patient out-of-pocket costs. Centura’s failure to do so, Walter’s attorneys argue, was a breach of contract.

“If you schedule an appointment for any type of prescheduled surgery, the hospital should know the cost beforehand,” attorney Tim Blood told the Durango Herald.

The lawsuit also takes aim at the lack of transparency in Centura Health’s pricing, which attorneys allege is not accessible to the patient, and the information that is available is confusing or difficult to find.

According to the Durango Herald, such class-action lawsuits generally do not play out in the plaintiff’s favor, though as the number of lawsuits increases, the sentiment among the courts could change.

Read more: 

• Unraveling the complexity of our health care billing system
• Consumers more likely to pay hospital bills if costs are clear
• When it comes to price transparency, majority of states receive a failing grade