An Abington man filed a category motion lawsuit Friday in opposition to now-shuttered Compass Medical, accusing the Quincy-based group of leaving tens of 1000’s of sufferers scrambling to seek out medical care.
Compass Medical introduced its determination to close down in an announcement posted to its web site on Wednesday, leaving many sufferers scratching their heads as to the sudden lack of main care choices.
The transfer got here after Compass Medical was convicted on 10 counts of fraud in October 2022 and ordered to pay a Dallas-based medical group $16.4 million. An lawyer for the Dallas group was stunned to listen to of the closure and left questioning how the settlement can be paid.
And now, John Callanan of Abington, a former affected person of Compass Medical, mentioned the Quincy medical group abruptly closed all of its affected person care services in Massachusetts “without any prior notice” to Callanan or others concerned in his class motion lawsuit. Callanan’s attorneys mentioned the closure amounted to “patient abandonment.”
“What we’re hoping to accomplish is to shine a light on this unconscionable business practice and to hopefully get every one of these patients who’s been affected by some kind of financial relief,” mentioned Attorney Jonathan Sweet of the private damage agency Keches Law Group.
Patients have been left in a “chaotic, stressful, disruptive, and unsafe position” as they rushed to seek out new medical suppliers, take care of prescriptions, and schedule or reschedule necessary medical assessments and appointments, the lawsuit mentioned.
“Compass violated generally accepted industry standards and guidelines for the orderly winding down and closing of a medical practice,” the lawsuit mentioned. “Compass opted for a sudden unannounced closure so it would not lose revenue while it remained in operation.”
The lawsuit mentioned Compass Medical’s determination to close down was primarily based on monetary pressures from the $16.4 million ruling in 2022. And the regulation agency mentioned there have been possible greater than 70,000 Compass Medical sufferers throughout its a number of medical services.
In an announcement issued Thursday, Compass Board President Dr. Bruce Weinstein mentioned “most” physicians on the 450-employee firm would proceed to offer care of their native communities as a part of different practices.
Weinstein mentioned medical data can be preserved and out there pursuant to federal and state rules.
“Compass will be updating the website regularly with information on how patients can contact their physician in their new practice setting and how they can obtain access to their medical records,” Weinstein mentioned in an announcement.
State officers have mentioned they’re wanting into Compass Medical’s closure.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”