A new GOP Super PAC targeting Dr. Kim Schrier, the Democratic candidate in the 8th congressional district, links her practice to a major class-action lawsuit in 2005.
Dr. Schrier does not have her own practice and she was not individually involved in the suit.
“Schrier’s practice was sued for overcharging patients, adding hidden charges for simple procedures; charging patients hundreds of dollars more just for being seen at different locations,” the voiceover in the Congressional Leadership Fund ad says.
The ad references a class action lawsuit against Virginia Mason in 2005, which was settled the following year on behalf of more than 3,200 patients.
Schrier does work for Virginia Mason, but she was not part of the suit. A spokesperson for Virginia Mason says none of the complaints involved Dr. Schrier specifically, or the Issaquah Clinic where she works as a pediatrician.
“Virginia Mason is not running for Congress,” Schrier’s campaign spokeswoman Katie Rodihan said. “Dr. Schrier is an employee within a large health care company. She has no say in the system, but spent every day helping patients navigate the broken system.”
Rodihan says that is a key reason why Schrier is running for Congress and points to her campaign’s health care proposal that includes a section on improving price transparency.
The new CLF ad also claims that “Schrier got rich while her practice refused to treat the majority of poor children on Medicaid.”
As KING 5 reported in a previous fact check, it's true that Virginia Mason does not accept all Medicaid plans. However, that's not up to individual doctors to decide which insurance plans they accept.
