New York State has received over $1 million in refunds from Northwell Health for overcharging patients for Covid-19 tests back in 2020, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) announced Friday.
According to the OAG, Northwell advertised three of its emergency departments on Long Island and in New York City as Covid-19 testing facilities, but charged patients for emergency room visits. As a result, Northwell will pay a $650,000 fine to the state, and must give out up to $400,000 in refunds to patients charged.
“During a time of great stress at the height of the pandemic, Northwell Health caused more worry and frustration for New Yorkers who were sent emergency room bills for simply taking a COVID-19 test,” New York State Attorney General Letitia James said. “Today we are putting money back in New Yorkers’ pockets after Northwell Health misled them. New York patients should not get surprise fees, and I encourage anyone who thinks they’ve been taken advantage of through deceptive advertising to file a complaint with my office.”
The OAG began its investigation after receiving complaints from patients who had gotten Covid tests at Northwell’s Lenox Hill Hospital, Lenox Health Greenwich, and Huntington Hospital facilities.
As many as 2,048 people will receive refunds from Northwell Health.
“In the first year of the pandemic, when patients often faced challenges obtaining COVID-19 testing, three of Northwell’s emergency departments posted public-facing signs indicating the availability of COVID-19 testing services,” Alex Costello, a spokesperson for Northwell, told the Press. “At each of these three locations, patients were able to receive emergency department services above and beyond those offered at standalone COVID-19 testing sites, including triage services and medical evaluation by a licensed emergency department clinician. These locations also posted signage, written consent forms and other messaging intended to advise patients upfront that they would receive services as emergency department patients. Northwell also implemented broad billing controls that, in the overwhelming majority of cases, succeeded in preventing patients from being billed for COVID-19 testing and related services, including patients for whom Northwell was entitled to collect out-of-pocket payments because they received additional services unrelated to COVID-19 testing and evaluation. This resulted in Northwell foregoing collection of payments from patients to which it would have been entitled in numerous instances.”
