New-York tribune., 1906-04-11
CHARGE FOR FREE BEDS
Endoscments of Philadelphia Hos
mitals Endangered by Practice.
LRy Telegraph to The Tribune I

Philadelphia. April 1O.-Endowments aggre-
eating millions of dollars in this city have
been imperilled by the almost universal Gus
tom of collecting greater or less sums Of money
from the occupants of so-called free beds" in
the charity hospitals OF this city
An Investigation has shown that only two out
of twoscore hospitals reserve all of their en-
dowed beds for patients who pay nothing. One
of these does not charge for the use of an en-
dowed bed. but will accept gift from the occu-
pant The other will not accept any money from
a patient occupying an endowed bed In all of
the other hospitals the custom is to make those
pay who can pay, and not to discriminate be-
tween those occupying endowed beds and those
resting upon beds yet TO be decorated with the
name plate of some philanthropic person.
The rates charged for the use of these
dowed beds range all the way from 81 a week
TO 81 day. according to the means Of the pa
tients. Three dollars a week is the average
charge.
Few states give much money to hospitals
does Pennsylvania, and there are said to be
more endowed beds In Philadelphia hospitals
than in those of any other city in America. All
the literature sent out by these institutions sets
out that bequest of 5000 will endow a free
bed in perpetuity. The understanding is univer-
sal that free bed in hospital means a bed
that is entirely free to the patient occupying it
cines administered to such patient shall also be
entirely free In practice this is not the case ex
cept. as already told. at two hospitals. Persons
who cannot pay anything at all are not well
coined with any degree Of enthusiasm. whether
there are free beds vacant not.
1t is not denied by the hospital managers that
the so-called free beds made to yield what
ever revenue they can. 1t is argued that the
money is needed. and that endowment OF
CaAn
incident TO the maintenance of an absolutely
free bed. The cost of food has almost doubled
since the S0,OoO endowment became universal
for a free hospital bed. and the rate of interest
has dropped from an average OF 6 per cent to
4 per cent, and the diminished income and
the increased expense make it impossible to
maintain bed strictly free on an endowment
of $1,000, they say.
The law point raised has to do with the i'm
piled contract incident to the acceptance of the
endowments. For a hundred years hospital man
ayers have been agreeing to create and maintain
free bed for such revenue may be derived
from an endowment of $4,000 II is now ad-
mitted that endowed beds have been used TO
increase the revenues of the hospitals receiving
such endowments and the courts will be asked
to decide whether this use OF free beds amounts
to a breach of contract. If il shall be decided
that there has been a breach of contract some
hospitals enjoying endOwments born of family
fights and spite will lose them, along with the
state aid based on the number OF free beds
1t is averred by hospital managers of wide
experience that the conditions prevailing in
IhllaQeiphld are lOentlcal WIN COn0ltlOnS every
where in the United States. and that the term
free bed is a philanthropic fiction.
DIR. Glover. superintendent OF ST. Lukes Hos
pital. when asked If endowed beds were rented at
his hospital replied in the negative. and added that
he had never heard of such
DIR. McHail. night superintendent OF Bellevue.
said that there were endowed beds at his hos
pital. and that all beds free. He had never
heard OF renting endowed beds.
DIR. Grimshaw, superintendent OF Roosevelt Hos
pital. said:
An endowed bed is primarily TO assist a hospital
1t is free the relatives and friends of the person
VINO endows IL. When the bed is empty We fire.
quently rent IL out. We forced to do this be-
cause oftentimes the bed is not sells supporting
When endowed bed Is in a surgical ward fire.
quently the patient has to go TO medical ward
The endowed beds not marked. so that there is
nothing outwardly 10 show that they endowed
The renting of the endowed beds is perfectly eeiti-
mate. and we do il here frequently.