Hospitals say Steward demanding millions more for essential IT services [Video]

The owners of former Steward Health Care hospitals in Massachusetts said the company is threatening to cut off medical record and billing services unless the new owners pay millions of dollars more than previously agreed. Massachusetts hospitals that survived Steward Health Care’s bankruptcy were transitioned to new owners in October. Lifespan became the new operator of Morton Hospital and Saint Anne’s Hospital; Lawrence General Hospital became the new operator of Holy Family Hospital-Methuen and Holy Family Hospital-Haverhill; and Boston Medical Center became the new operator of Good Samaritan and St. Elizabeth’s.Steward filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on May 6. The purchase agreements were originally announced in late August, but final negotiations went down to the wire.According to documents filed this week with the bankruptcy court, the Transition Services Agreements for each of the hospitals included stipulations that Steward would continue to provide information technology and revenue cycle services for …