Migliaccio & Rathod LLP is investigating whether Stormont Vail Health, a nonprofit hospital system based in Topeka, Kansas, has improperly pursued medical debt from patients who qualified for free or discounted hospital care.
According to reporting by the Kansas Reflector, Stormont Vail Health filed more than 2,100 medical debt collection cases in Shawnee County in 2025, up from nearly 1,900 in 2024. The reporting described patients who faced lawsuits and wage garnishments despite potentially qualifying for financial assistance. In one reported case, a mother of two had hundreds of dollars deducted from her paychecks after Stormont Vail Health obtained a judgment for unpaid medical bills. Following challenges brought by Kansas Legal Services, Stormont Vail Health agreed to resolve 11 collection cases involving approximately $200,000 in medical debt.
Nonprofit hospitals, such as Stormont Vail Health, must maintain financial assistance programs and follow specific procedures before pursuing lawsuits and other extraordinary collection actions. Patients who qualify for financial assistance may be entitled to free or discounted hospital care.
What Consumers May Have Experienced:
- Being sued for unpaid hospital bills despite having household income low enough to qualify for free or discounted care;
- Having wages garnished after a judgment was entered against them;
- Receiving collection notices without being adequately informed about financial assistance;
- Paying medical bills or taking out loans to avoid continued collection activity despite potentially qualifying for assistance;
- Discovering that a judgment had been entered without understanding their rights or available defenses.
Potential Claims May Include:
- Violations of Section 501(r) of the Internal Revenue Code;
- Failure to properly disclose or administer the hospital’s financial assistance policy;
- Improper collection of debts from patients eligible for free or discounted care;
- Violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act by third-party debt collectors, where applicable;
- Improper wage garnishment or collection of amounts exceeding what patients legally owed.
Signs You May Be Affected:
- Stormont Vail sued you over an unpaid hospital bill;
- Your wages were garnished because of a Stormont Vail medical debt;
- Your household income was within the hospital’s financial assistance eligibility limits when you received care;
- You were never informed that you could qualify for free or discounted hospital care;
- You paid a medical bill or borrowed money to resolve a debt that may have qualified for financial assistance.
If Stormont Vail Health sued you over an unpaid medical bill, garnished your wages, or pursued payment despite your potential eligibility for financial assistance, Migliaccio & Rathod LLP would like to hear from you. Please complete the contact form on this page, send us an email at [email protected], or give us a call at (202) 470-3520.