BELLINGHAM, WA. – (KGMI.com) PeaceHealth is returning millions of dollars to low-income patients after an investigation.

The Attorney General’s office announced on Monday, November 20th, that the operator of Bellingham’s hospital will return the money to patients that were not notified about their eligibility for financial assistance at the time of billing.

The total amount to be returned is $13.4 million to over 15,500 patients across the five hospitals in Washington.

In addition to this money, PeaceHealth was fined $2 million by the Attorney General’s office.

PeaceHealth released a statement on Monday about the investigation, noting their charity work.

In the release, PeaceHealth’s chief financial and growth officer Darrin Montalvo said their mission is healing, not profit.

The Attorney General began investigating PeaceHealth in 2020 as part of the Health Care Initiative, looking into their financial assistance program and collection practices.

If patients have questions about qualifications for restitution, they are encouraged to contact PeaceHealth.