Accretive seeks advice on collection standards from top health care policymakers

Accretive Health, subject of a recent report critical of its billing practices, will convene a panel of top policymakers on collection standards in the industry, it said Tuesday.

(St. Paul) Pioneer Press: Accretive Health Asks Daschle, Shalala For Advice On Collecting Health Bills
The Chicago-based company that was subject of a scathing report in April from Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson is convening national policy leaders to set standards for how hospitals should inform patients about the money they owe for health care. In a news release issued Tuesday, May 15, Accretive Health Inc. said the discussion will be led by Michael Leavitt -- a former governor of Utah and secretary of Health and Human Services during the George W. Bush administration -- and will include input from former Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., and other national policy leaders. Accretive Health said it hopes the group will work with an independent nonprofit organization to develop national standards for how hospitals and health care providers should talk with patients about expected charges and their access to charity care (Snowbeck, 5/15).

Modern Healthcare: Accretive Launching Collection-Standards Panel
Accretive Health, the billing and collection company that is under scrutiny after a highly critical report by Minnesota's attorney general, said it would launch and fund a panel to set patient collection standards. Accretive named Mike Leavitt, former HHS secretary and founder of a healthcare consulting company, to chair the panel, according to a news release (Evans, 5/15).