AG Ellison announced that his office has obtained a settlement with Mayo Clinic that requires Mayo to change its charity care and debt collection practices.  According to the terms of the settlement, Mayo Clinic must provide charity care to certain presumptively eligible patients and streamline their charity care application process. The settlement also prohibits Mayo Clinic from suing to collect medical debt in other than extraordinary circumstances. 

"In exchange for their tax exemption, nonprofit hospitals are supposed to give back to their communities by providing free or reduced-cost health care to folks with low incomes. My office investigated Mayo Clinic and discovered that they were actively dissuading certain patients from seeking charity care. While this is disappointing, I am heartened by the substantial improvements Mayo Clinic has made to their charity care program, and I am grateful for their cooperation with our investigation. The settlement I have reached with Mayo Clinic ensures their improved charity care policies and procedures will remain in place. Our investigation also revealed shortcomings in the charity care system generally, and I hope lawmakers will consider my office’s recommendations to address those shortcomings and help more Minnesotans get the care they need to be well.” – AG Ellison