Northwell Health penalized over $1M for deceptive COVID-19 testing site advertising

April 15, 2024 Robert Abruzzese, Courthouse Editor

Attorney General Letitia James announced that Northwell Health will pay more than $1 million after ripping off over 2,000 patients during the COVID pandemic by charging them for emergency room visits. Photo by Bebeto Matthews/AP

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A local health care network tried to double-dip into patient’s pockets and didn’t get away with it.

Attorney General Letitia James announced on Friday that Northwell Health has been fined and ordered to pay refunds totaling more than $1 million for deceiving New Yorkers during the pandemic.

The largest health care network in New York advertised its emergency departments as COVID-19 testing sites, leading to wrongful charges for emergency-room services that were never asked for nor received.

“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.”

The investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that between March 2020 and March 2021, Northwell Health misleadingly advertised COVID-19 testing at three of its emergency locations — Lenox Hill Hospital, Lenox Health Greenwich and Huntington Hospital.

Signs posted at these sites did not disclose that visitors would incur emergency room charges, not just testing fees. Consequently, 2,048 individuals who visited these locations for a COVID-19 test were unexpectedly billed for emergency room visits, accumulating over $400,000 in charges.

In response to the findings, Northwell Health has agreed to issue refunds totaling $400,164.29 and will also pay a $650,000 penalty to the state. This agreement also mandates that Northwell Health must clearly notify patients about potential emergency department charges when seeking COVID-19 tests in the future.

The Attorney General’s Office continues to encourage any New Yorker who suspects they have been subjected to deceptive advertising or billing practices to reach out to the OAG Health Care Bureau.