Study Reveals St. Louis Universities Sued Nearly 1,000 Patients Over Medical Debt
St. Louis, MO — July 10, 2025 — For Immediate Release 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. The research, led by Mary Shannon, MSW, shows these lawsuits were disproportionately filed in Black and low-income communities, often resulting in wage garnishments that deepened families’ financial...


