A Colorado news station asked executives from the state's largest health systems to address consumer concerns about medical bills at an impromptu, on-camera meeting early this week. However, all executives denied the request, 9News reports.
The media outlet asked executives from Colorado health systems like Aurora-based UCHealth, Broomfield-based SCL Health, Denver-based HealthONE and Centennial-based Centura Health to personally review a few of the hundreds of complaints 9News has received concerning the systems' medical bills.
While no hospital representatives spoke to 9News in person, UCHealth, SCL, HealthONE and Centura sent a letter to the news station a few hours before the meeting. The hospitals said it encouraged 9News to tell consumers to contact the hospitals directly with billing questions.
In addition, the hospitals stated they have "consistently provided responses" to 9News' past inquiries, and submitted a written statement "in lieu of interviews at this time."
The hospitals concluded the letter by stating, "As to your statement that you will 'seek other means of getting questions answered on-camera,' we would remind you that in order to protect patient, visitor and staff privacy in our hospitals, news media representatives are not allowed to film at our facilities unannounced."
One UCHealth representative has since agreed to speak on-camera, 9News reports.