CommonSpirit Health to Suspend Patient Billing for the Testing and Treatment of COVID-19

Chicago, Ill.—March 17, 2020—CommonSpirit Health, which has hundreds of hospitals and clinics serving patients across 21 states, will suspend sending patient bills related to the testing and treatment of COVID-19. CommonSpirit will continue to work with payers and federal, state, and local officials to determine the cost-sharing associated with providing care related to COVID-19.

“The last thing our patients should worry about if they experience symptoms characteristic of this coronavirus is the cost of seeking care,” said Lloyd H. Dean, CEO of CommonSpirit Health. “While we cannot yet know how COVID-19 will spread in the days and weeks ahead, our care sites will remain available to our communities. The most important thing now is for people who experience symptoms of the coronavirus to contact their health care provider and seek medical care if directed to do so.”

Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, CommonSpirit’s health professionals will remain vigilant in identifying, isolating, and treating all people who come to the system’s facilities.

 Anyone who has concerns about coronavirus exposure or has mild symptoms of COVID-19 such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath should call a medical professional immediately. If someone experiences severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, or new confusion, they should seek medical care immediately and let the care team know about their respiratory symptoms.

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About CommonSpirit Health

CommonSpirit Health is a nonprofit, Catholic health system dedicated to advancing health for all people. It was created in February 2019 through the alignment of Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health. CommonSpirit Health is committed to creating healthier communities, delivering exceptional patient care, and ensuring every person has access to quality health care. With its national office in Chicago and a team of approximately 150,000 employees and 25,000 physicians and advanced practice clinicians, CommonSpirit Health operates 142 hospitals and more than 700 care sites across 21 states. In FY 2019, Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health had combined revenues of nearly $29 billion and provided $4.45 billion in charity care, community benefit, and unreimbursed government programs.

Learn more at commonspirit.org.