Thread by @wendi_c_thomas

.@MethodistHlth has an incredible opportunity to truly transform its financial assistance policies and abandon its aggressive debt collection practices. Tinkering on the edges would disappoint many.

There are plenty of models to follow. Here are a few.

After a similar investigation of Mary Washington Healthcare @MWHCConnection, the VA hospital suspended its court collections for SIX MONTHS. (Not 30 days like Methodist is doing.) fredericksburg.com/news/local/mar…

Also, a hospital administrator has said that the wage garnishment of patient/low-wage worker featured in the @NPR story “shouldn’t have happened.”

No Methodist official has made any such public statement.

A similar story by @paulkiel of @propublica and @npr led to this: propublica.org/article/nonpro…

Kiel’s inquiries at an Indiana hospital led to this: archive.courierpress.com/news/deaconess…

Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, IN made 2 major changes, including making its financial assistance policy much more generous.

Experts say @MethodistHlth FAP is among the stingiest they’ve ever seen. It may be the stingiest in TN, based on a @MLK50Memphis-@propublica analysis.

At the Missouri hospital Kiel wrote about, the hospital instituted a debt forgiveness program that erased $17 MILLION in debt.

$17 MILLION. Imagine the impact a similar change could have in Memphis, the second poorest large metro in the nation.

Catholic hospital @BonSecours in Richmond and Hampton Roads, VA stopped suing patients more than 10 years ago. virginiamercury.com/2018/08/08/fro…

Another hospital that doesn’t sue? University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, which says it “will not engage in Extraordinary Collection Actions such as lawsuits, liens on residences or property, arrests, body attachments, reporting to credit agencies” or similar processes.

There’s a serious reputational risk for nonprofit hospitals (which pay virtually no taxes) that hound workers it knows are poor for debts it knows the workers can’t afford, Mark Rukavina of @HealthPolicyHub told me.

This issue is on @ChuckGrassley’s radar. He’s not happy that it’s taken Congress and the media to make sure charitable orgs help the needy.

@MethodistHlth is affiliated with the @UMChurch. Other UMC hospitals don’t sue patients, such as Houston Methodist @MethodistHosp. For them, it’s a WWJD thing.

“We are a faith-based institution and we don’t believe taking extraordinary measures to seek bill payments is consistent with our mission and values,” a Houston Methodist spokesperson said by email.

Mission. Values.

On its 2017 tax filing, @MethodistHlth says it has a “Christ-centered commitment to minister to the whole person.”

Fred Morton, a retired @UMChurch pastor, had some harsh words re @MethodistHlth collection practices. I quoted him here: The Nonprofit Hospital That Makes Millions, Owns a Collection Agency and Relentlessly Sues the Poor propublica.org/article/method…

“21st-century version of slavery.“

@MethodistHlth was founded by a man described as a wealthy planter. John Sherard Sr. was raised by his uncle, who was a slaver, and gave Sherard his start.

Sherard’s great-grandson, John Pettway III, serves on @MethodistHlth board. methodisthealth.org/articles/when-…

If you want to go down a rabbit hole, look up how much federal farm subsidies the family farm has gotten in recent years. farm.ewg.org/top_recips.php…

July 30 is @MethodistHlth self-imposed deadline for its policy review.

Since the first story published, every few days I get a call or text from one of the low-wage defendants I interviewed, including Methodist’s own employees.

They want to know if and when their change is going to come.

I tell them I don’t know. The ball is in @MethodistHlth court. 🤷🏽‍♀️

Fin for now.