More than 1,300 Washington patients will receive compensation under a $410,000 settlement with Puget Sound Physicians, the state attorney general announced September 29. The emergency medicine provider works at Overlake Hospital in Bellevue. The investigation found it failed to refund some patients later approved for charity care.
The agreement requires refunds with interest within 120 days. The release describes an average payment of nearly $300, but each amount depends on the patient's payment and medical care. An average is not a flat entitlement for anyone treated at Overlake.
The medical practice must send checks to patients' most current addresses and follow up by phone if a check is returned or remains uncashed after 90 days. The investigation covered more than five years through March 2026. The release does not open a general application for every emergency-care bill in the state.
Keep payment receipts and the charity-care approval together if you believe your account should have been refunded. Washington's charity-care protections can matter even after payment, but an individual's eligibility and treatment still need checking. Do not confuse this physician-practice settlement with a promise that all hospitals will automatically refund every paid bill.