Rep. Barbara Sykes to Propose Remedies
to Stop Hospitals’ Gaming of Workers’ Comp,
Other Questionable Practices
SEIU District 1199’s Care for Ohio
project, which uncovered the
profiteering scandal, will be available
to share additional information
WHAT: Press briefing
with Rep. Barbara Sykes
WHEN: Wednesday,
July 13, 12:00 Noon
WHERE: Statehouse
Room 121
Columbus –
Responding to recent revelations that the Ohio
Bureau of Workers’ Compensation is a “cash cow”
for hospitals, Ohio State Representative
Barbara Sykes (District 44-Akron) will call on
the Bureau to immediately implement an
alternative method for reimbursing hospitals at
a press briefing at the statehouse on Wednesday
at noon. Rep. Sykes will also announce
a proposal to investigate the practices of
Ohio’s non-profit
hospitals and evaluate whether they are meeting
their obligations as tax-exempt
institutions.
Rep.
Sykes has been leading the charge among state
legislators for more hospital accountability.
Earlier this year, following the release of a
report by SEIU District 1199’s “Care for Ohio” project showing that uninsured
patients are often charged more than twice the
price charged to insured patients, Sykes
introduced an amendment to the state budget
that would have limited the prices hospitals
can charge uninsured and underinsured Ohioans.
Last month, she convened a special fact-finding
hearing on non-profit hospitals featuring
testimony by “Care for Ohio,” a representative from Minnesota’s Office of the Attorney General,
the Ohio Hospital Association, and other expert
witnesses.
Representatives from the Care for Ohio project of SEIU
District 1199, Ohio’s health
care union, will join Rep. Sykes at the press
briefing and be available to answer questions
about the research findings that hospitals have
made $544 million in profits from the workers’
comp system over the last seven years.
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