If you happen to owe money for services received at a Bayfront-branded hospital, you might be getting an unpleasant piece of mail soon. Community Health Systems of Tennessee owns the seven Bayfront facilities, including those in Venice, Port Charlotte, and Punta Gorda. Since February, the company has been steadily increasing the number of delinquency notices sent out to those who have not settled their bills. Numbers for October are not yet available, but 67 complaints were filed in September, compared with just eight in February. The lawsuits are significant since Bayfront is considered a trauma center, meaning it must treat patients regardless of ability to pay upfront, which typically affects uninsured and low-income patients who would have trouble defending a lawsuit.
