NY Attorney General Finds Northwell Health Deceptively Advertised COVID-19 Testing Sites
New York Attorney General, Letitia James, has announced a settlement with New York’s largest health network, Northwell Health, to resolve allegations it deceptively advertised its emergency departments as COVID-19 testing sites during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Northwell Health claimed in advertisements that three emergency departments in New York City and Long Island were COVID-19 testing sites; however, when patients visited to be tested they were billed for emergency room visits.
The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) investigated Northwell Health after complaints were received from patients who claimed they had been overcharged for testing. OAG investigated and found that Lenox Hill Hospital, Lenox Health Greenwich, and Huntington Hospital had signs advertising their emergency departments as COVID-19 testing sites between March 2020 and March 2021. Hundreds of patients visited the emergency departments solely to be tested for COVID-19 but were billed standard emergency department charges. In the case of Huntington Hospital, even patients who used the drive-in testing facility were charged for emergency room visits. OAG determined that Northwell Health collected $81,761.46 in out-of-pocket payments from 559 New Yorkers for COVID-19 tests and related services, and patients visiting the emergency department for other reasons were also charged for COVID-19 tests.
OAG found that the actions of Northwell Health violated New York Executive Law § 63(12) and General Business Law §§ 349 and 350. Under the terms of the settlement, Northwell Health has issued more than $400,000 in refunds to 2,048 patients and will pay a civil monetary penalty of $650,000 to the state. “During a time of great stress at the height of the pandemic, Northwell Health caused more worry and frustration for New Yorkers who were sent emergency room bills for simply taking a COVID-19 test,” said Attorney General James. “Today we are putting money back in New Yorkers’ pockets after Northwell Health misled them. New York patients should not get surprise fees, and I encourage anyone who thinks they’ve been taken advantage of through deceptive advertising to file a complaint with my office.”
