As a local, independent physician, I found the April 16 news story in The Durango Herald report on Centura-Mercy Hospital inappropriately billing Medicare patients for claims that insurance already paid very concerning. From problems with sterilizing instruments and increased surgical infections, to numerous recent reports of inappropriate billing, we continue to see that Centura is not “delivering a higher standard of care in pursuit of health and happiness for all,” as stated on the Centura website.

If Centura is indeed attempting to bill Medicare patients for claims already paid, it is not just poor form, but probably a violation of federal rules, and Centura should be investigated, fined and sanctioned per the law. I applaud the Herald for its detailed report and hope that Centura will be more motivated to resolve its issues.

As a community with only one full-service hospital, we need Mercy to succeed. Mercy has many excellent providers and provides critical medical services, many of which are not otherwise available locally. On the other hand, we also have many independent providers that can perform a lot of the same outpatient services as Mercy does, with less hassle, less risk of billing problems and more accessible customer support.

So, when it comes to your health care, consider your options. Support independent providers when possible and continue to push for higher standards from Centura-Mercy.

Robert Wallach

Durango