Mary Shannon
@marymshannon.bsky.social
social worker & researcher | STL
she/her | views = mine
she/her | views = mine
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Mary Shannon
@marymshannon.bsky.social
· Jul 25
1/ In 2020 while working at a non-profit health clinic in St. Louis, I encountered a patient being sued over unpaid medical bills. When I looked closer at the summons, I saw the plaintiff was my alma mater: Saint Louis University. 🧵
Wait... you're telling me the $104 lawsuits didn't save the day?? And you can't balance a billion-dollar budget by suing patients for pocket change?! 🤯😱
Faculty who spoke with the Post-Dispatch said they are looking for more answers as to why the university eliminated 316 staff positions and closed 198 unfilled vacancies.
WashU job cuts announcement prompts calls for greater transparency
Faculty who spoke with the Post-Dispatch said they are looking for more answers as to why the university eliminated 316 staff positions and closed 198 unfilled vacancies.
www.stltoday.com
October 2, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Wait... you're telling me the $104 lawsuits didn't save the day?? And you can't balance a billion-dollar budget by suing patients for pocket change?! 🤯😱
For those keeping score at home:
🔥 Higher gas rates. Can't pay? Face a shutoff.
⚡ Higher electric rates. Can't pay? Face a shutoff.
💧 Higher water rates. Can't pay? Face a shutoff.
🛒 Higher grocery prices. Can't pay? Go hungry.
⚕️ Exorbitant medical costs. Can't pay? See you in court.
🔥 Higher gas rates. Can't pay? Face a shutoff.
⚡ Higher electric rates. Can't pay? Face a shutoff.
💧 Higher water rates. Can't pay? Face a shutoff.
🛒 Higher grocery prices. Can't pay? Go hungry.
⚕️ Exorbitant medical costs. Can't pay? See you in court.
Spire customers in St. Louis can expect their natural gas rates to rise by roughly 10 percent starting in October.
Spire gas rates will go up 10% this fall after Missouri regulators approve increase
A ruling from the Missouri Public Service Commission will allow Spire to raise its monthly gas rates by 10% starting in October.
www.stlpr.org
September 4, 2025 at 10:05 PM
For those keeping score at home:
🔥 Higher gas rates. Can't pay? Face a shutoff.
⚡ Higher electric rates. Can't pay? Face a shutoff.
💧 Higher water rates. Can't pay? Face a shutoff.
🛒 Higher grocery prices. Can't pay? Go hungry.
⚕️ Exorbitant medical costs. Can't pay? See you in court.
🔥 Higher gas rates. Can't pay? Face a shutoff.
⚡ Higher electric rates. Can't pay? Face a shutoff.
💧 Higher water rates. Can't pay? Face a shutoff.
🛒 Higher grocery prices. Can't pay? Go hungry.
⚕️ Exorbitant medical costs. Can't pay? See you in court.
Non-profit mission, tax-exempt status, and a $12B endowment. Yet WashU still takes patients to court over $104 medical debts and garnishes wages, even from their own employees. Make it make sense... 😵
Wash U has a staggeringly large endowment that could be put to use fixing all kinds of things in St. Louis, and yet they refuse to consider a PILOT program ⤵️
www.thenation.com/article/soci... @thenation.com
www.thenation.com/article/soci... @thenation.com
September 3, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Non-profit mission, tax-exempt status, and a $12B endowment. Yet WashU still takes patients to court over $104 medical debts and garnishes wages, even from their own employees. Make it make sense... 😵
Reposted by Mary Shannon
This building from a WashU for-profit entity is under a TIF and also received a personal property tax abatement this year. SLPS wasn't even notified of the abatement bill as required. Anyway, tax exempt WashU needs to join its wealthy university colleagues and pay PILOTs.
Washington University should be ashamed! One of its numerous for-profit subsidies is appealing the assessment for #4140ForestPark
See my previous coverage of the project at:
#CortexTIF
#BOAbb139
#BOAbb140
See my previous coverage of the project at:
#CortexTIF
#BOAbb139
#BOAbb140
August 22, 2025 at 1:31 AM
This building from a WashU for-profit entity is under a TIF and also received a personal property tax abatement this year. SLPS wasn't even notified of the abatement bill as required. Anyway, tax exempt WashU needs to join its wealthy university colleagues and pay PILOTs.
Our work to uncover & reduce harmful medical debt collection practices is growing!
Thanks to the Missouri Foundation for Health & @moconsumer.bsky.social, we're taking our efforts statewide. And we're hiring!
📌 Outreach Advocate: tinyurl.com/5epdz76w
📌 Social Media Specialist: tinyurl.com/7sd9euy7
Thanks to the Missouri Foundation for Health & @moconsumer.bsky.social, we're taking our efforts statewide. And we're hiring!
📌 Outreach Advocate: tinyurl.com/5epdz76w
📌 Social Media Specialist: tinyurl.com/7sd9euy7
Outreach Advocate - Medical Debt Project - The Rome Group
Job Title: Outreach Advocate – Medical Debt Project Reports To: [...]
tinyurl.com
August 13, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Our work to uncover & reduce harmful medical debt collection practices is growing!
Thanks to the Missouri Foundation for Health & @moconsumer.bsky.social, we're taking our efforts statewide. And we're hiring!
📌 Outreach Advocate: tinyurl.com/5epdz76w
📌 Social Media Specialist: tinyurl.com/7sd9euy7
Thanks to the Missouri Foundation for Health & @moconsumer.bsky.social, we're taking our efforts statewide. And we're hiring!
📌 Outreach Advocate: tinyurl.com/5epdz76w
📌 Social Media Specialist: tinyurl.com/7sd9euy7
Reposted by Mary Shannon
#Medicaldebt is an indicator of an inherent failure of our health system to protect the most vulnerable. Aggressively pursuing it does little to serve the financial bottom line of a hospital, while exposing the most vulnerable & their families to a lifetime of downstream consequences.
@jama.com
@jama.com
August 10, 2025 at 5:21 PM
#Medicaldebt is an indicator of an inherent failure of our health system to protect the most vulnerable. Aggressively pursuing it does little to serve the financial bottom line of a hospital, while exposing the most vulnerable & their families to a lifetime of downstream consequences.
@jama.com
@jama.com
Reposted by Mary Shannon
🚨This @jama.com NO 📄 examines St Louis physician practices who SUE their patients.
There are inequitable impacts of debt collection. Areas with ⬆️ % of Black residents & ⬇️ incomes...
face ⬆️lawsuits, ⬆️judgments, & ⬆️wage garnishment.
#Medicaldebt has disproportionate effects on certain communities.
There are inequitable impacts of debt collection. Areas with ⬆️ % of Black residents & ⬇️ incomes...
face ⬆️lawsuits, ⬆️judgments, & ⬆️wage garnishment.
#Medicaldebt has disproportionate effects on certain communities.
Lawsuits for Unpaid Medical Bills and the Role of Physician Groups
This cross-sectional study examines the prevalence and impact of physician-driven medical debt lawsuits among Black, low-income, and other marginalized communities.
jamanetwork.com
August 10, 2025 at 5:12 PM
🚨This @jama.com NO 📄 examines St Louis physician practices who SUE their patients.
There are inequitable impacts of debt collection. Areas with ⬆️ % of Black residents & ⬇️ incomes...
face ⬆️lawsuits, ⬆️judgments, & ⬆️wage garnishment.
#Medicaldebt has disproportionate effects on certain communities.
There are inequitable impacts of debt collection. Areas with ⬆️ % of Black residents & ⬇️ incomes...
face ⬆️lawsuits, ⬆️judgments, & ⬆️wage garnishment.
#Medicaldebt has disproportionate effects on certain communities.
Reposted by Mary Shannon
Representatives from St. Louis-area hospitals and clinics think new changes to Medicaid will lead to issues for patients, even those who don’t rely on the government-sponsored health insurance.
Health leaders warn of 'domino effect' from Medicaid changes at St. Louis roundtable
Around two dozen people from local health organizations aired concerns Wednesday at a roundtable in downtown St. Louis convened by U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell.
www.stlpr.org
July 31, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Representatives from St. Louis-area hospitals and clinics think new changes to Medicaid will lead to issues for patients, even those who don’t rely on the government-sponsored health insurance.
1/ In 2020 while working at a non-profit health clinic in St. Louis, I encountered a patient being sued over unpaid medical bills. When I looked closer at the summons, I saw the plaintiff was my alma mater: Saint Louis University. 🧵
July 25, 2025 at 2:11 PM
1/ In 2020 while working at a non-profit health clinic in St. Louis, I encountered a patient being sued over unpaid medical bills. When I looked closer at the summons, I saw the plaintiff was my alma mater: Saint Louis University. 🧵
Reposted by Mary Shannon
⚡ KFF’s Lunna Lopes explores how medical debt affects consumers, an issue back in the news after a recent court decision blocked a federal rule that would have stopped medical debt from being included in people’s credit reports. #QuickTake on.kff.org/4lN5zzy
July 23, 2025 at 3:55 PM
⚡ KFF’s Lunna Lopes explores how medical debt affects consumers, an issue back in the news after a recent court decision blocked a federal rule that would have stopped medical debt from being included in people’s credit reports. #QuickTake on.kff.org/4lN5zzy
New @stlpublicradio.bsky.social reporting highlights our research on how St. Louis's largest physician groups sued nearly 1,000 patients over medical debt—disproportionately in Black and low-income ZIP codes.
Huge thanks to Sarah Fentem for telling this story.
#MedicalDebt #HealthEquity #STL
Huge thanks to Sarah Fentem for telling this story.
#MedicalDebt #HealthEquity #STL
Physician groups at SLU and Wash U are suing patients over small medical bills — and disproportionately targeting people from ZIP codes with lower incomes and higher Black populations.
Here's why these universities say their approach is justified:
Here's why these universities say their approach is justified:
Research finds St. Louis physician groups sue Black, poor ZIP codes more
The average judgment was for around $2,000, said lead author Mary Shannon. Some judgments were for even smaller amounts.
www.stlpr.org
July 23, 2025 at 2:52 PM
New @stlpublicradio.bsky.social reporting highlights our research on how St. Louis's largest physician groups sued nearly 1,000 patients over medical debt—disproportionately in Black and low-income ZIP codes.
Huge thanks to Sarah Fentem for telling this story.
#MedicalDebt #HealthEquity #STL
Huge thanks to Sarah Fentem for telling this story.
#MedicalDebt #HealthEquity #STL
Reposted by Mary Shannon
publics don't have hundreds of millions in PAC and think-tank money — there's no one getting rich in exchange for investment in st. louis public schools — Wash U and SLU should be paying into that system
www.thenation.com/article/soci...
www.thenation.com/article/soci...
The Ivory Tower Doesn’t Pay Taxes, but It Should Still Pay Up
Activists in St. Louis want Washington University—with its multibillion-dollar endowment—to pony up to help rebuild public schools.
www.thenation.com
July 21, 2025 at 12:25 PM
publics don't have hundreds of millions in PAC and think-tank money — there's no one getting rich in exchange for investment in st. louis public schools — Wash U and SLU should be paying into that system
www.thenation.com/article/soci...
www.thenation.com/article/soci...
I'm proud to share the first news segment covering our research on medical debt lawsuits in St. Louis. Immensely grateful to everyone who's helped us bring this to light.
Accessing healthcare should never come with the threat of a lawsuit.
Accessing healthcare should never come with the threat of a lawsuit.
Local hospitals filed hundreds of lawsuits against patients over unpaid medical debt
YouTube video by KSDK News
youtube.com
July 19, 2025 at 3:44 PM
I'm proud to share the first news segment covering our research on medical debt lawsuits in St. Louis. Immensely grateful to everyone who's helped us bring this to light.
Accessing healthcare should never come with the threat of a lawsuit.
Accessing healthcare should never come with the threat of a lawsuit.
Reposted by Mary Shannon
I am incredibly disappointed in these universities that claim to care about the communities in which they reside. Gloating about having grants that help the most vulnerable in St. Louis, while simultaneously exacerbating the circumstance that contribute to that vulnerability is unconscionable.
Lawsuits for Unpaid Medical Bills and the Role of Physician Groups
This cross-sectional study examines the prevalence and impact of physician-driven medical debt lawsuits among Black, low-income, and other marginalized communities.
jamanetwork.com
July 19, 2025 at 3:15 PM
I am incredibly disappointed in these universities that claim to care about the communities in which they reside. Gloating about having grants that help the most vulnerable in St. Louis, while simultaneously exacerbating the circumstance that contribute to that vulnerability is unconscionable.
Reposted by Mary Shannon
"A new study published today in JAMA Network Open finds that Saint Louis University (SLU) and Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) filed nearly 1,000 lawsuits against patients over unpaid medical bills from January 2020 to May 2023."
Study Reveals St. Louis Universities Sued Nearly 1,000 Patients Over Medical Debt – Consumers Council of Missouri
moconsumers.org
July 18, 2025 at 12:18 AM
"A new study published today in JAMA Network Open finds that Saint Louis University (SLU) and Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) filed nearly 1,000 lawsuits against patients over unpaid medical bills from January 2020 to May 2023."
Reposted by Mary Shannon
Disappointed by a TX judge's ruling requiring #medicalDebt (which burdens 1️⃣in 3️⃣ Americans) stay on credit reports. Getting sick, having a car accident, or facing cancer shouldn't leave a black cloud over your financial future for the rest of your life... but it routinely does. #financialToxicity
Americans' medical debt can stay in credit reports, judge rules. What does that mean?
The judge's decision vacated a rule imposed by the Biden administration earlier this year to keep medical debt from affecting credit scores.
www.npr.org
July 16, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Disappointed by a TX judge's ruling requiring #medicalDebt (which burdens 1️⃣in 3️⃣ Americans) stay on credit reports. Getting sick, having a car accident, or facing cancer shouldn't leave a black cloud over your financial future for the rest of your life... but it routinely does. #financialToxicity
Reposted by Mary Shannon
Medical debt - If you want to know something about a society, have a look how it treats its weaker members... #economy #healthcare #capitalism #MedSky #PoliSky #EconSky
Rethinking Medical Debt Lawsuits
Shannon et al1 examined medical debt lawsuits filed by the largest physician groups in the St Louis, Missouri, area. Their findings are stark: there were nearly 1000 lawsuits from January 2020 to May ...
jamanetwork.com
July 12, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Medical debt - If you want to know something about a society, have a look how it treats its weaker members... #economy #healthcare #capitalism #MedSky #PoliSky #EconSky
Reposted by Mary Shannon
Medical debt lawsuits in Missouri, primarily by physician groups from universities, disproportionately impact Black and low-income communities, with high lawsuit frequency, judgments, and wage garnishments. https://ja.ma/4nETuh1
July 10, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Medical debt lawsuits in Missouri, primarily by physician groups from universities, disproportionately impact Black and low-income communities, with high lawsuit frequency, judgments, and wage garnishments. https://ja.ma/4nETuh1
Reposted by Mary Shannon
SLU & WashU sued nearly 1,000 patients for medical debt.
87% default judgments
48% of garnishments hit Black zip codes (22% of population)
Over $1M in judgments pursued
Smallest debt: $104
Study by CCM & CSD: tinyurl.com/3zbtkrh2
#EndMedicalDebt #HealthJustice
87% default judgments
48% of garnishments hit Black zip codes (22% of population)
Over $1M in judgments pursued
Smallest debt: $104
Study by CCM & CSD: tinyurl.com/3zbtkrh2
#EndMedicalDebt #HealthJustice
July 11, 2025 at 3:01 PM
SLU & WashU sued nearly 1,000 patients for medical debt.
87% default judgments
48% of garnishments hit Black zip codes (22% of population)
Over $1M in judgments pursued
Smallest debt: $104
Study by CCM & CSD: tinyurl.com/3zbtkrh2
#EndMedicalDebt #HealthJustice
87% default judgments
48% of garnishments hit Black zip codes (22% of population)
Over $1M in judgments pursued
Smallest debt: $104
Study by CCM & CSD: tinyurl.com/3zbtkrh2
#EndMedicalDebt #HealthJustice