US EditionPew: More Minnesotans Facing Medical Debt Lawsuits
Fairview Health Services filed over 4,000 lawsuits in 2024 amid rising medical debt cases in Minnesota, driven by high-deductible plans and delayed insurance claims, experts say.
- Analysis by the independent nonprofit Pew shows medical debt lawsuits in Minnesota reached a five-year high, based on court and consulting data from recent years.
- Tighter hospital budgets and changes in payer practices have increased medical debt cases, as patients lose pandemic stimulus and face high‑deductible plans and denied claims in recent years.
- Fairview Health Services is currently leading the increase, filing more than 4,000 medical debt lawsuits in 2024, while Mayo Clinic and Allina Health systems drew criticism in recent years for suing patients; Fairview says litigation affects roughly 1% of clinical bills.
- Affected patients risk wage garnishment and prolonged hardship, and experts warn lawsuits keep them in poverty cycles; Minnesota courts and legislators should act as cases rise, Pew's Lester Bird said.
- Nationally, filings for consumer debt are increasing, and Pew's analysis citing January Advisors and the National Center for State Courts shows a pandemic-era drop followed by a rebound to pre-pandemic levels.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Lawsuits against patients over unpaid medical bills increase in Minnesota to a five-year high - Albert Lea Tribune
By Molly Castle Work, Minnesota Public Radio News Medical debt lawsuits across Minnesota have surged to the highest level in five years, according to a new analysis by independent nonprofit Pew. When patients are unable to pay their medical bills and fall into debt, hospitals and health care providers often turn over that debt to collection agencies, and eventually they can be sued by the provider or a collection firm for payment. Lester Bird, a…
Post Bulletin
Lawsuits against patients over unpaid medical bills increase in Minnesota to a 5-year high
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Medical debt lawsuits across Minnesota have surged to the highest level in five years, according to a new analysis by independent nonprofit Pew. When patients are unable to pay their medical bills and fall into debt, hospitals and health care providers often turn over that debt to collection agencies, and eventually, they can be sued by the provider or a collection firm for payment. Lester Bird, a senior manager with Pew Chari…
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