TERRYVILLE — Bristol Hospital sued Terryville, Connecticut, resident Christine Wood over a $12,000 medical bill for weight loss surgery after she had already paid $5,000 based on her insurer’s estimate of her out-of-pocket cost. Wood underwent the procedure at Bristol Hospital in 2022 and was later billed an additional amount that brought her total charges to more than $17,000.

Before the surgery, Wood contacted her insurer, Aetna, and was assured her out-of-pocket expense would be $5,000, which she paid in advance. More than six months after the operation, however, she received another bill from Bristol Hospital. When she tried to dispute the unexpected charge, the hospital sued her. "I’m freaking out. I don’t understand it," Wood said. "That’s ridiculous. I was told so many times by Aetna: ‘$5,000 out-of-pocket.’ I never would have had the surgery had I known it was going to cost almost 20 grand."

Christine Wood said no one from Bristol Hospital discussed potential costs or financial assistance with her before the surgery, and that hospital representatives later refused to negotiate the disputed charge. "They would not talk to me about it," she said, referring to her attempts to resolve the bill after her insurance denied part of the claim.

Bristol Hospital CEO Kurt Barwis defended the lawsuit, saying, "I don’t have a choice. What we’re trying to do is sustain a mission of taking care of this community." Barwis noted the hospital has recently assigned financial counselors to contact patients before elective procedures to review costs and assistance options.

Bristol Health, the parent system of Bristol Hospital, is among Connecticut’s most financially strained hospital networks and is in talks with Governor Ned Lamont’s administration about a potential acquisition by state-owned UConn Health. Despite broader declines in medical debt lawsuits across Connecticut since 2019, Bristol Health filed collection lawsuits against patients in 2024.

Kathy Holt, chief of the state Office of the Healthcare Advocate, said her office receives thousands of calls annually from residents confused or overwhelmed by medical billing. "I’ve talked to too many people who have just given up. The system has been made so hard for them, and I feel like it’s deliberate," Holt said.