St. Croix Regional Medical Center Settles Lawsuit Alleging Overcharging for Medical Records
Wisconsin-based St. Croix Regional Medical Center has proposed a $225,000 settlement to resolve a lawsuit filed by individuals who alleged the medical center charged them excessive fees for exercising their right to obtain a copy of their health records, above what is permitted under Wisconsin law.
According to the lawsuit – Stadler v. St. Croix Regional Medical Center Inc. – patients and persons authorized by patients to obtain a copy of their health records (e.g. attorneys) were overcharged for the requested records. St. Croix Regional Medical Center denied any wrongdoing or liability; however, counsel for the plaintiff and defendant determined that there was a significant risk of continuing the litigation, so the decision was taken to settle the lawsuit.
Under the terms of the settlement, any patient who directly or indirectly paid a request, basic, retrieval, certification, or other fee in violation of Wis. Stat. §146.83(3f)(b)(4)-(5) is permitted to submit a claim for compensation of up to 1.5 times the amount of the disputed fees. A person authorized by a patient to obtain a copy of the patient’s medical records is also entitled to 1.5 times the amount of the disputed fees if those costs were not passed on to the patient. The compensation will be paid from the $225,000 settlement fund after fees, costs, and the class representative’s $2,500 incentive award have been deducted. Class counsel will apply to the court to be awarded 40% of the settlement amount ($90,000).
Class members include all patients and other authorized individuals who requested a patient’s health records from St. Croix Regional Medical Center since November 20, 2013. Patients who paid the fees directly and patients who paid the fees indirectly through a third party are eligible to submit claims. Members of the requested class will only be able to submit a claim if they can provide proof that they paid the fees and did not pass on those fees to a patient class member.
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The deadline for objection to the proposed settlement is November 1, 2024, the deadline for opting out is November 18, 2024, and the deadline for submitting a claim is also November 18, 2024. The final approval hearing has been scheduled for January 31, 2025.
