Evening star., 1942-04-24
Doctors Hospital
In Rift With 6. H. L.;
Contract 10 End
Issue Concerns Care
For Renewals Pending
Termination of Relations

Giving notice that after March
81, 1943, Doctors Hospital would
not renew its contract to care
for patients enrolled under
Group disqualification, Inc, a
spokesman for G. H. 1. declared
today that the hospital also was
refusing care to any new persons
signing up for group hospitaliza-
ton or to those whose individual
contracts with Group Hospitali-
zation, Inc, expired and have to
be renewed in the meantime.
First news of the controversy be-
tween Doctors Hospital and G. H. I.
was revealed today by Joseph H.
Hines, president of G. H. l., who
made public a letter and a notice
which he sent out today to the
100000 G. H. I. subscribers.
In the official notice by Group
disqualification it was stated that
G. H. I. intended to take action to
require the hospital to care for
patients with new or renewed con-
tracts, even though this may re-
quire an appeal to the courts"
Hospital Officials Surprised.
Oficials of Doctors Hospital ex-
pressed surprise that G. H. 1. had
taken such means to disclose the
relations between the two institu-
tions and said that the first notice
they had received about the state
ment was from the press,
Of1cials of the hospital said there
was no further disagreement over the
issue of termination of the contract
between the two corporations as off,
cial notice had been served that the
hospital would terminate its con-
tract with G. H. I. next March.
Representatives of both sides agreed
that the pending controversial issue
was involved in the difference of
opinion over whether the hospital
should accept for admission G.. H. I.
subscribers whose contracts are writ
ten or renewed subsequent to March
81, 1912.
In the official notice sent out by
G. H. l. it was said:
1--WE contend that all of OUR sub
scribers-current, renewed, or new
are entitled to full service under the
contract at Doctors Hospital up to
March 81, 1943. In behalf of our
subscribers we shall take such action
as may be appropriate or necessary
to require the hospital to comply to
the fullest extent with its contract
for service to our subscribers, even
though this may require an appeal
to the courts"
IL Other Hospitals Open.
Asked what this last reference to
court action meant, Roger White
ford, counsel for G. H. l., said the
issue was still pending and that no
court action would be taken If Doc
tors Hospital should agree to care
for persons with new and renewed
individual contracts with G.. H. I. up
to March 81, l943.
Mr.. Hines notice to subscribers
pointed out that while "the with
drawal of Doctors Hospital may
incommode and perhaps disappoint
some subscribers, should like to
remind you that there is available
to all subscribers the service of all
the other hospitals of the city, ex-
cept those Of the Government.
He then listed IL other hospitals
which are still open to G H. I.
subscribers. They are Emergency,
Children's, Columbia, Casualty,
Episcopal. Garfield, George Wash
ington, Georgetown, Homeopathic,
Providence and Sibley.
Oficials of Doctors Hospital ex-
planned the issue over care of new
and renewed contracts of individuals
had not yet been settled by the
Board of Directors of the hospital.
Three officials discussed the mat
ter informally and announced they
would prepare a formal statement
of position tomorrow morning. They
were DR.. Charles Stanley White,
president: DR.. Oscar B. Hunter, Sec
retary, and o. x. Fike, director of
the hospital.
Revenue Called Inadequate.
In the meantime, they pointed
out that 20 per cent of Doctors Hos
pital capacity is now occupied by @.
H. I. patients. for which the hospital
receives $3.50 . day per patient from
@. II. /. This Is not sufncient, they
al to
of the hospital, especially in view
of the fact that the hospital is SUBJ
ject to real estate taxes, personal
(see HOSPITAL, Page A-5)