Under the COPA, Ballad writes off bills for patients who earn less than 225% of the federal poverty level, which for 2019 is $28,103 for an individual and $57,938 for a family of four.

“I don’t think it’s even remotely reasonable to suggest we aren’t taking care of those communities when other people [health systems] were there and left. If somebody says that, they need to show you evidence of where that has occurred because I would be shocked if somebody could show you a case where there was somebody poor or low income and needed to get in one of our hospitals and could not get in,” he said.

Ballad later reached out to the Health Wagon and offered to have its surgeons see a few patients a month.

Tyson said the first ones got bills, so the program is at a standstill.

‘We should have a say’

In Kingsport, Ballad’s most vocal critics continue to camp outside Holston Valley Medical Center. Their protest began in early May after Tennessee approved Ballad’s request to eliminate Holston Valley’s neonatal intensive care unit and consolidate care of the sickest newborns into Nyswonger Children’s Hospital in Johnson City.