Jury finds Colorado hospital overcharged patient for $300K spinal fusion: 5 things to know

Spine

A Colorado jury sided with Lisa French, a patient at Westminster, Colo.-based St. Anthony North Health Campus, ruling the hospital overcharged her for a spinal fusion, The Denver Post reports.

Here are five things to know:

1. St. Anthony North Health Campus sued Ms. French over her unpaid bill that totaled $229,112.13 for the spinal fusion performed in 2014.

2. Before Ms. French's health insurance took effect, the bill reached $303,709.49. She was delivered the bill three years after the procedure.

3. Ms. French claimed she was told the procedure would cost $1,336. She said she paid the hospital $1,000 prior to surgery. The jury ordered her to pay $766.74, which comprised a portion of her remaining co-pay.

4. The defense shed light on the charges the hospital faced for the procedure compared to what Ms. French was charged. For example, the hospital was charged about $31,000 for the 13 implants used in the procedure but charged Ms. French nearly $200,000 for them.

5. St. Anthony North Health Campus' parent, Centura Health in Centennial, Colo., denies any wrongdoing. In a statement to The Denver Post, the system said the price for Ms. French's spinal fusion was in the bottom 25 percent. The health system plans to appeal the ruling.

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