939 the Eagle News has confirmed that Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s office has launched a civil investigative demand (CID) into the now-closed Mexico and Fulton hospitals in mid-Missouri. A CID is similar to a subpoena power. Former Mexico hospital employee Marissa Hagedorn of Audrain County has thousands of dollars in medical bills that she didn’t expect. She has a two-year-old son with spina bifida. Ms. Hagedorn and State Rep. Kent Haden (R-Mexico) tell 939 the Eagle that while money was taken out of hospital employees’ checks for health care, the company didn’t pay insurance premiums. Ms. Hagedorn feels hurt and betrayed, and Attorney General Andrew Bailey has told us his office is conducting an investigation. Reporter Sarah Jane Tribble tells “Wake Up” listeners that federal investigators from the U.S. Department of Labor are also investigating the situation:
UPDATE: Missouri’s attorney general wants answers regarding now-closed Mexico/Fulton hospitals
939 the Eagle News has learned that Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s office has launched what’s known as a CID into the now-closed Mexico and Fulton hospitals.
Bailey spokeswoman Madeline Sieren tells 939 the Eagle that a CID is a civil investigative demand and that it’s essentially a subpoena power that is reserved for the attorney general’s office. Ms. Sieren cannot elaborate on any details.
939 the Eagle News interviewed former Mexico hospital employee Marissa Hagedorn three weeks ago, and she told us that she has thousands of dollars in medical bills that she didn’t expect. Her two-year-old son has spina bifida.
Ms. Hagedorn and State Rep. Kent Haden (R-Mexico) tells us money was taken out of hospital employees’ checks for health care, but the company didn’t pay the insurance premiums.
“I mean, hurt and betrayed. It’s something that with my son’s diagnosis at birth and before birth, he has to have health insurance. He will always have medical bills,” Hagedorn told 939 the Eagle News in February.
(AUDIO): Former mid-Missouri hospital employee says money was taken out of check, but company didn’t pay premiums
A former employee of the now-closed Mexico hospital says she has thousands of dollars in medical bills that she didn’t expect.
Marissa Hagedorn has a two-year-son with spina bifida.
“They were taking our premiums out and taking money out of our paychecks. So it looked like we had our self-funded plans. If you went on the websites and that of our health insurance, it said active. So we all thought that our health insurance was there,” Hagedorn tells 939 the Eagle.
State Rep. Kent Haden (R-Mexico) tells 939 the Eagle that money was taken out of hospital employees’ checks for health care, but the company didn’t pay insurance premiums. Ms. Hagedorn lives in Audrain County, north of Columbia
“I mean, hurt and betrayed. It’s something that with my son’s diagnosis at birth and before birth, he has to have health insurance. He will always have medical bills,” Hagedorn says.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has told 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” that his office is conducting an investigation into what’s happened at the now-closed Mexico and Fulton hospitals. Representative Haden, whose district includes Audrain and Callaway counties in the Missouri House, says the Legislature should consider holding hearings and has described those areas as “health deserts.”
(AUDIO): Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey discusses Mexico/Fulton hospital closings on “Wake Up Mid-Missouri”
State Rep. Kent Haden (R-Mexico), describes what happened to employees regarding health insurance premiums at the now-closed Fulton and Mexico hospitals as criminal. Haden, who chairs the Missouri House Healthcare Reform committee, tells 939 the Eagle that the hospitals allegedly took money out of employees’ pay for health care but did not actually pay insurance premiums. Haden says one employee has $50,000 in unpaid hospital bills for a child with spina bifida. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey joined us live on 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” this morning, telling listeners that he’s limited in what he can say due to his office’s ongoing investigation. General Bailey says his office will not allow these employees to be taken advantage of, emphasizing that his office has broad authority to protect Missouri consumers: