Evening star., 1947-10-26
Hospital Lists
Rate Increases
In Arlington
Semiprivote Rooms
And Wards to Cost
soc to ST More

Arlington Hospital last night an
nounced increases of so cents to a
dollar in daily rates for ward and
semi private beds, in a move to
check mounting operating losses.
Beds in children's wards were
raised from IS to Sc. Those in four
bed wards for adult patients went
from So TO 81. while semiprivate
accommodations, two beds in a
room, were increased from $3.50
to So.
| Private room rates were left In-
changed, at SO and $40 . day.
The increase in Arlington's
charges for semiprivate beds was
the second in three months. A So
cent raise in this type Of accom-
mediation was announced in July,
after hospital officials reported
semiprivate beds cost more at otffer
hospitals.
"Our increased rates have been
necessitated by sharply increased
COSTS" explained Karl H. York, hos
pital administrator, when the an
nouncement was made.
Average Patient Costs $15.49.
| He said services extended to each
patient at the hospital now cost
an average of $3.50 a day. The
former room rates, plus extra
charges for operating room, drugs
and other hospital items, did not
bring the average patients payment
to this figure, he asserted.
Mr.. York listed the hospitals
total operating costs through Au-
gust of this, year at 1851 $3.50, which
put 1t $48.443 in the red
With the new rates, the hospital
official said, Arlington hopes to
avoid any further deficit from pay
ing patients during the remainder
of the year. The daily loss on
charity patients, however, is about
$40, he pointed out.
Chest Unit Pays S. a Case.
Arlington Hospital receives only
IS a day for INDECENT cases from
the Health Security Administration,
which dispenses Community Chest
Federation funds. Arlington County
makes up the difference between IS
and actual cost for tax-eligible
county residents. about 20 per cent
of the county's HSA patients. Fair
fax County, which supplies so per
cent of the hospitals charity load,
does not.
During the last few years, rising
hospital costs have forced Arling-
ton officials to make an annual ap-
peal to the community for dona-
tions. The September, 1916, drive
raised $4,000, but another cam
paign last May netted only $50, 900.
While regretting the necessity to
raise room rates, Mr.. York pointed
out that the average patients hospi-
tai expenses are limited today by
the fact that most people don't stay
as long in their hospital beds as they
once did.
Usual Stay Is Six Days.
At Arlington, he said, the average
stay is only six and a half days. due
to improved medical techniques,
the use of penicillin and the sulfa
drugs and the growing advocacy of
early ambulation instead of a long
convalescence in bed.
More rapid cure and recovery,
while it involves added daily ex-
pense, shortens the time in which
wage earners must suffer loss of
income, the administrator explained.
He cited a recent survey of the
American Medical Association which
showed the average family spends
more money on liquor, recreation
and tobacco than on medical care.
Of each medical care dollar, he
added, only 16 cents goes to the
hospitals. The rest is spent on
doctors and dentists fees, drugs
| and other services,