Lawrence hospital to temporarily suspend collection of medical bills

photo by: Chris Conde

LMH Health is pictured in a file photo from October 2018.

LMH Health will temporarily suspend the collection of health care bills in an effort to provide economic relief to patients and to lessen the number of items traded between patients and staff.

Deb Cartwright, chief financial officer for LMH Health, announced Monday afternoon that the hospital would temporarily cease all point-of-service and debt collections.

“At a time that may already be financially challenging for our patients, we want to ensure they get the care they need without being asked for payment upfront,” Cartwright said in a news release. “We understand the current economic hardships, and we want to make sure our patients know we are on their side.”

Cartwright also noted that ceasing collections would reduce the number of items being traded between patients and staff, an action that will hopefully prevent further spread of COVID-19 in the community.

If patients would like to pay their bills upfront, payments can still be made online or via mail by using a statement. The LMH Health business office will remain open.

“Some may want to make payments because they do not personally want to get behind or they just simply want to get it paid off,” Cartwright said. “But we will not pursue them for payments, nor will there be consequences, such as fees, for the time being on ‘missed’ payments.”

Members of the community who are interested in supporting LMH Health employees affected by the COVID-19 crisis may donate to the CARE Fund. Community members seeking to support patients unable to pay for medication, equipment and other items may donate to the Help and Healing Fund. Gifts can be made online at www.lmh.org/donate or by calling the LMH Health Foundation at 785-505-5005.

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What to do if you think you may have COVID-19

Patients who have symptoms — difficulty breathing, cough and fever — should stay home, immediately isolate themselves from others and call their health care providers. Patients should never show up unannounced at a medical office or hospital. Instead, they should call ahead to explain their symptoms and give health care workers the ability to minimize the risk to others.

If patients do not have health care providers, they may call the Lawrence Douglas-County health department’s coronavirus line, 785-856-4343.

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More information can be found through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s website or the Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health website.

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