SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – A Bay Area law firm has filed a lawsuit against Kaiser Permanente for allegedly charging patients hundreds of dollars for a COVID-19 test.
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Brian Devine, an attorney with Seeger Devine Llp, told KCBS Radio a class action lawsuit was filed in Alameda County Superior Court last week. Devine is representing Faye Getubig, who claims she visited Kaiser Permanente for a COVID-19 test and was charged with an illegal bill.
"When plaintiff Faye Getubig received a COVID test in June 2022, Kaiser billed her $310 for the test. Seeger Devine has learned that her case is not unique; Kaiser has illegally charged other members hundreds of dollars each for COVID-19 tests," the law firm revealed in a statement.
The complaint accuses Kaiser of charging patients for a multiplex test, which bundles coronavirus and the flu, detecting both viruses in one. Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, patients are protected from paying for COVID testing.
According to Devine, Kaiser has since agreed that it is illegal to charge for the "multiplex" tests. However, the Bay Area attorney revealed he is still hearing from several Kaiser members who are being charged.
"We hope that Kaiser will agree to the relief we have requested in the lawsuit by refunding these illegal charges and by agreeing to a court injunction that requires Kaiser to follow the law in the future," he said.
"If Kaiser charges $310 for a COVID test, fewer people will be able to afford to be tested, even if the Centers for Disease Control recommends that they should be tested. And when fewer people who have been exposed to COVID are tested, the more likely it is that COVID will continue to spread through our community," the complaint stated.
Kaiser issued a statement saying they are reviewing the allegations.
"It is our policy not to charge for COVID testing, according to federal and state requirements, including multiplex COVID testing, and we have not changed that policy," the healthcare company wrote. "We are reviewing our member's allegations and if we identify a technical error on our part, we will certainly correct it. Over the last two-and-a-half years of the pandemic we have supported our members and patients in obtaining a total of more than 20 million COVID-19 tests."
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