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Bad Benefits

In the midst of a pandemic and an ensuing nurse staffing crisis, Prime provides nurses at Suburban Community and Lower Bucks Hospitals with grossly inadequate health insurance and fights them on any medical claim they make, even if the nurses follow the language regarding health insurance in their contracts. Most of the nurses in both hospitals are in arbitration with Keenan – Prime’s third-party insurance claim manager – over unpaid medical bills.

Every step of the way:

Workers at these hospitals face challenges for themselves and family members thrown at them from Prime when they need medical care. As a result, staff leave to work at facilities that treat them with respect and give them the medical care they and their families deserve.

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Employee Neglect

Prime is a healthcare company that has disregarded, neglected, and in some cases harmed the health and wellness of its own employees by forcing them to use Prime facilities for their own healthcare without any choice. If the Prime facility doesn’t offer the medical service the employee needs, the employee must still go to the Prime facility first – even if the care the employee needs is emergent. Reimbursements are slow and often involve a lengthy fight.

It's cruel and appalling, especially since nurses spent the last three years literally risking their own lives and those of their families in order to care for Prime's patient communities. But it's also sadly par for the course for Prime, whose “prime” priorities appear to be profits first, staff and patients last.

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Shannan Giambrone, RN

ICU nurse, Suburban Community Hospital

“A healthcare company should be setting the tone for what healthcare is. Their whole business depends on people seeking out good healthcare. But when it comes to their employees, they don’t feel the need to provide us with the ability to seek out good healthcare in areas where Prime doesn’t offer it. We do our job for our patients and the hospital really well. They haven’t done right by us at all.”

 

“At the time of our contract three years ago, we were told that Prime would be putting forth a big effort to expand their network of providers. That has not happened. What’s more, finding an accurate list of providers is incredibly difficult; there’s no good referral source for any of the specialties – GI, cardiology, neurology, etc.

 

“We have a clause in our contract for continuity of care – meaning, if you’ve been seeing a specialist, such as an oncologist, you can continue to see that specialist. Now, they are not honoring that clause. They want us to apply to continue seeing any specialist – such as an oncologist – every three months.

Bad 
Faith

The news that Prime is putting its three Philadelphia-area hospitals up for sale broke in December 2023, yet Prime has steadfastly refused to acknowledge in bargaining they are attempting to sell their facilities. They continue to push for a three-year contract when they may not even own the hospitals at the end of 2024.

Exploitation

Even with this stance, Prime is refusing to add protections to the Union contract that would ensure that the staff and patients are taken care of during a sale – if and when it occurs.

 

THIS is Prime’s business model – the exploitation of every group involved in the delivery of healthcare, including doctors, nurses, patients, hospital workers, the government, and insurance companies. 

 

It’s no surprise, then, that Prime Healthcare has been involved in numerous labor-related controversies – including for not following employee contracts – sparking legal battles and public scrutiny:

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01

Behavioral Health Unit Closure

In October 2023, Prime Healthcare faced criticism for closing its behavioral health unit, leading to layoffs and concerns about patient care continuity. The closure prompted backlash from staff and community members.

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02

 Anti-Trust Lawsuit Against Union and Health Insurance Company

Prime Healthcare filed a lawsuit in November 2011 against the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and Kaiser Permanente, alleging anti-trust violations.2 The lawsuit, dismissed after several appeals, accused the defendants of conspiring against Prime Healthcare's market presence.

Nurse Strike Over Staffing Issues

In December 2023, nurses from the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP) Union staged a strike against Prime Healthcare’s proposed staff cuts and increased patient-to-nurse ratios. The strike aimed to negotiate better working conditions and staffing levels.

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04

Minimum Wage Lawsuit

Prime Healthcare faced a lawsuit in April 2023 from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU)-United Healthcare Workers West for laying off workers instead of complying with increased minimum wage laws. The layoffs sparked legal action alleging retaliation against workers.

Wrongful Termination Lawsuit

In October 2015, Prime Healthcare was found guilty in a wrongful termination lawsuit after firing a chief nursing officer who reported an affair involving hospital executives. The lawsuit highlighted concerns over employee retaliation and workplace ethics.

06

Back Wages Order by National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)

In October 2016, Prime Healthcare was ordered by the NLRB to pay $6.5 million in back wages to employees following a contractual dispute over promised annual raises. The ruling underscored Prime Healthcare's legal obligations to honor employee contracts.

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