Woman Charged $1,133 To Have Toenail Clipped At Hospital

[matcom]

<snip>

SEATTLE --A lawsuit spawned by a $1,133 bill to clip a toenail and run some tests at a hospital has been certified as a class action.

The ruling this week in King County Superior Court could raise the stakes by millions of dollars in a consumer protection case brought by Lori Mill against Virginia Mason Medical Center.

Mill is challenging a $418 fee included in the bill for "miscellaneous hospital charges" because she had the work done at Virginia Mason's downtown complex rather than at one of the medical center's satellite clinics.

Virginia Mason officials say the downtown operation is authorized by Medicare to charge higher fees because it is licensed as a hospital, and they maintain that such charges are a standard industry practice.

Extending the lawsuit to cover other Virginia Mason patients who have been billed for such fees, Judge Gregory P. Canova said the main question is whether those charges were properly disclosed or were unfair or deceptive.

Trial is set for July 3. If Virginia Mason loses, the state Consumer Protection Act allows triple damages of up to $10,000 per patient who provides documentation of such a billing. The number of patients potentially affected was not immediately available early Friday.

http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2005/09/09/woman_is_charged_1133_to_clip_toenail?mode=PF

[Hugin]

1. That's why I always have the vet do mine...

The lines are shorter and they give me a nice treat afterward
too.

[miss_kitty]

2. damn

I wish VMMC was still MY health care provider. I could use a lawsuit with monetary award involved right about now.