Fremont ER physicians file lawsuit over billing
6/29/2007FREMONT - A new form of patient billing at Fremont Memorial Hospital is the underlying dispute in a lawsuit filed this week in Sandusky County Common Pleas Court.
A group of emergency room physicians is alleging that the hospital's board acted in bad faith after indicating in October, 2006, that they wanted the physicians to begin conducting their own patient billing.
According to court records, physicians agreed to the new billing procedure and began negotiating agreements with insurance companies.
Earlier this year, after signing an agreement with the physicians - as is customary for the physicians to provide services at the hospital - the hospital board said their contract would be terminated unless they were able to sign agreements with several insurance companies.
Though they were able to secure contracts with some insurance providers, physicians said they still received notice that the contract would be terminated without cause.
The complaint further states that the hospital made false representations that it would abide by the contract by issuing the notice.