Patients Sue UK HealthCare, State Over Debt Collection Practices

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Five patients are suing the University of Kentucky health care system and the Kentucky Department of Revenue over medical debt collection practices. The plaintiffs, represented by the Kentucky Equal Justice Center and the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, allege UK HealthCare and the DOR violate patients rights to due process by collecting debts without giving patients adequate notice or opportunity to contest the debts. The class action lawsuit is seeking declaratory and injunctive relief, meaning the plaintiffs and their lawyers are asking the DOR and UK HealthCare to stop collecting debts until patients are given adequate notice and the chance to challenge debts. UK HealthCare is the only hospital system in the state that can utilize the DOR for collection. This means, unlike other health care providers who would have to take debtors to court, UK HealthCare can avail itself of the state’s powerful collection tools including wage garnishments, withholding tax returns and liens on property, all without a court order.

UPDATE: 18 Residents, 5 Staff At Louisville Nursing Home Have Coronavirus

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UPDATE:

Eighteen residents of the Treyton Oak Towers senior living facility in Old Louisville have tested positive for coronavirus along with five staff members, Gov. Andy Beshear said at a press conference on Wednesday evening. Beshear said over 100 tests have been allocated to the facility, and a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expert has been sent there to talk with staff about personal protective equipment. Beshear said that, as of Wednesday’s press briefing, 72 residents and 33 staff have tested positive for the virus at 25 facilities. Beshear said 13 residents of Kentucky nursing homes have died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Treyton Oak Towers didn’t respond to a request for comment.