Swanson distribues settlement money

Photo:

Nov 20, 2012 at 2:12 pm

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KNSI) Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson is distributing money to patients who claimed they were subject to aggressive collection tactics at Minneapolis-based Fairview Health Services.

Swanson has distributed $364,000 to 90 people. The money comes from a July agreement in which Fairview vendor Accretive Health paid $2.49 million to settle allegations that the company broke Minnesota debt collection and consumer protection laws.

A Swanson spokesman says former state Supreme Court Justice James Gilbert acted as a special master in deciding how to distribute the funds.

Individual awards vary from $1,000 to $7,000. The remaining $2.1 million will go into Minnesota's general fund.

Swanson alleged that Chicago-based Accretive Health instituted overly aggressive collection tactics at Fairview. The company admitted no wrongdoing as part of the settlement.