AHA warns hospitals about journalist investigating ER bills

Vox reporter Sarah Kliff has asked patients to submit their emergency room bills from 2012 through 2017 for a project focused on secretive hospital prices and facility fees. This request has caught the attention of the American Hospital Association (AHA), which sent out a memo alerting its members about the project.

“We encourage you and your entire team to be certain that you remain familiar with your organization’s policies and procedures on patient billing, financial assistance policies, and how to talk about them with patients, their families, and the public,” the AHA memo read.

Kliff wrote that the project has already collected bills from 346 patients in 43 states and the District of Columbia, and plans to use this data for stories throughout 2018.

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John Gregory, Senior Writer

John joined TriMed in 2016, focusing on healthcare policy and regulation. After graduating from Columbia College Chicago, he worked at FM News Chicago and Rivet News Radio, and worked on the state government and politics beat for the Illinois Radio Network. Outside of work, you may find him adding to his never-ending graphic novel collection.

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