catholic healthcare west

A large non-profit hospital chain has settled a class action lawsuit filed over the prices it charges uninsured patients. Catholic Healthcare West, which operates 40 hospitals in California, Arizona and Nevada, has agreed to pay an undisclosed sum believed to total "hundreds of millions" of dollars. The suit accused CHW of charging uninsured patients up to five as times as much as those with insurance or access to Medicare or Medicaid. As part of the settlement, the hospital chain agreed …

Erin Brockovich, the legal assistant who inspired an Oscar-winning movie starring Julia Roberts, filed seven lawsuits against healthcare companies on Friday, accusing them of defrauding Medicare. The suits allege that the providers involved are cheating the government by forcing taxpayers to pay for illness caused by their own medical mistakes and incompetence. The other six defendants include Adventist Health, Country Villa Service, Catholic Healthcare West, Kindred Healthcare, Longwood …

The San Francisco Business Times runs what looks like an article written by the PR department at Catholic Healthcare West. The 40-hospital chain is apparently an outstanding place to work, gives all its employees health care benefits, pays for college classes and in 2005 it did so well financially that all employees got a bonus. Well, at least someone's benefiting from the continual increase in health care costs. Article

> A class action suit filed in California charges Catholic Healthcare West with price gouging in the rates it charges the uninsured. Article

> Blog Therapy? In case you hadn't noticed, medicine is changing. Article

> In a decision with …

> Federal prosecutors say they will not bring perjury charges against Richard Scrushy. The SEC charges against him are not affected. Story (Wall Street Journal sub. req.)

> Respected cardiologist Eric J. Topol writes that Natracor should be off the market in a commentary in this week's New England Journal of Medicine. …