Category Archives Judge Howard

In Morgan v. Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, 403 S.W. 3d 115 (June 28, 2013), the Missouri Court of Appeals addressed this issue of first impression and reversed the trial court’s grant of judgment on the pleadings, holding that St. Luke’s was not entitled as a matter of law under Section 430.230 to assert a lien on the patient’s claim against a third party tortfeasor where the patient’s insurer had already paid the patient’s bill pursuant to its discounted payment agreement with the hospital.  In this case, the plaintiff had been the victim of a motor vehicle accident, had been treated at St. Luke’s, and her insurer had then paid her discounted bill according to a discounted payment agreement between St. Luke’s and the insurer. St. Luke’s then returned the discounted payment to the insurer, and then filed a lien for 100% of its billed charges on Ms. Morgan’s claim against…