Class-action lawsuit targets St. Elizabeth, Forum Health

By PETER H. MILLIKEN

milliken@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Akron-based lawyers have filed class-action lawsuits against St. Elizabeth Boardman Health Center and Forum Health Northside Medical Center, alleging both hospitals improperly billed Medicaid patients for Medicaid-covered services.

The civil suits were filed in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court on Sept. 2 against St. Elizabeth and on Tuesday against Northside. Both suits allege breach of contract and negligence, and both demand jury trials. The suits were filed by Attys. Albert R. Nestico and Todd O. Rosenberg.

The suit against St. Elizabeth is assigned to Judge R. Scott Krichbaum, and the suit against Northside is assigned to Judge Maureen A. Sweeney.

The complaint against St. Elizabeth was filed on behalf of Denise Cuscino, of Struthers Road, New Middletown.

The complaint against Northside was filed on behalf of Ann Boylen, mother of a minor named Vivian Boylen, of Edgar Avenue, Youngstown.

Spokeswomen for Forum Health and St. Elizabeth declined to comment because the complaints are matters of pending litigation.

The plaintiff’s lawyers seek to include within the class all Ohio Medicaid patients each institution billed for Medicaid-covered services during the past 15 years. Each suit seeks more than $25,000 in damages for each plaintiff and each class.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.