OH health system collecting $150 from uninsured

Anne Zieger — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 09:33:41 -0400

MetroHealth System of Cleveland is fighting to collect money from uninsured patients that it contends could conceivably pay at least part of their bills. The county-owned system, which runs 10 outpatient facilities, is collecting the fees from patients who aren't residents of Cuyahoga County. Such out-of-county patients currently account for 20 percent of the system's bad debt, which is helping to fuel the system's predicted $8 million shortfall, executives there say. The system is imposing the $150 charge, in part, because it recently acquired software allowing the hospital to better identify where patients live and what their assets are. Even with the added income, it still expects to make some painful changes. In coming months, the system is planning to cut 1 percent of its payroll, or about 73 full-time jobs. This should save it about $17 million.

To learn more about the system's issues:
- read this Modern Healthcare article (reg. req.)

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SPOTLIGHT: IRS probe triggers firing of OH hospital exec

Anne Zieger — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:08:29 -0400

A publicly-owned health system based in Cleveland has fired its top facilities executives after an IRS inquiry suggesting that he accepted gifts from a construction firm. MetroHealth System dug into the behavior of Vice President of Construction and Facilities John Carroll after it got a letter from the IRS. In the letter, the IRS said that Cleveland's East West Construction Company had distributed gift cards for local retailers through Carroll, as well as channeling gifts, dinners, and payment for hotel and travel charges to system employees. Article

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OH health system collecting $150 from uninsured

SPOTLIGHT: IRS probe triggers firing of OH hospital exec