Evening star., 1948-06-29
Hospitals
Chest 10 Pay
S14.48 Rate
Face Deficit of Million
For Yeor, Federation
Committee Is Told

The Community Chest Federation
has been asked to increase payment
for disqualification of INDECENT and
semiindigent patients from the pres
ent $3.50 a day to s14.4s a day in
1949.
The plea was laid before the
Budget Committee of the Fedora
ton yesterday afternoon, with the
warning that II nonproflt hospitals
in the Metropolitan Area face a
combined deficit at the end of this
calendar year of more than ST.
100000
For nearly three hours, the Budg
ct Committee heard the case for
hospital care presented by spokes-
men for the Hospital Council; and
the Health Security Administration
which Is changing its name to the
Hospital Service Agency for the
National Capital Area. Represent
atives of the hospitals themselves
also presented their cases.
Owing to increased cost of hos
pital care, the Chest Federation
was asked to increase its hospitali
zation fund for next year to a net
of S1,153,000. This compares to the
request made about this time last
year for a disqualification budget of
$6S2, 1874 for 1948, which had been
reduced by ALLEGATION to $493 145, |
and now stands at s432,l79 for this
calendar year.
Cites Reduced Averages.
Willard Smith, administrator OF !
HSA, explained the present Chest
payments to hospitals for INDECENT
and semi INDECENT care are at the |
rate of $3.50 day for adults, 81 q
day for infants and 81 per day for
clinic visits. At the rate the hos
pittalization fund is being spent
however. he estimated that by the /
end of this year the hospitals will
be- receiving an average of S6.85,
sl82 and 81 cents respectively for
the three classes.
For next year the hospitals asked .
for S14.48 per adult day, 81 per in !
FAINT day and 81 for each clinic .
visit
AS principal spokesman for the
hospitals, Mr. Smith told the COM
mittee:
I'VE do not ask you to provide |
the cost of the entire hospital en-
terprise. The Hospital Council al
ready has obtained from Congress |
some money to pay for tax eligible
patients In the District. We already /
know, however that the rates to be
paid are too low. We ask today that
you provide enough money to pay
the bare cost of the non-tax- eligi-
BILE patients, the Chest Federation
eligible patients"
Fund Conservation Pledged.
In making this appeal, Mr.. Smith
pledged continued efforts to con-
serve Chest funds This. he -ex-
planned, is accomplished by limit
ing their use to only those patients
who are truly in need and to obtain
from the patients themselves what
they are able to pay without forcing
them to resort to some other Com
munity Chest Agency for other
necessities of life"
He declared that the new rate is
needed. ''if the hospitals are to
survive without obtaining a source
of funds other than the Community
Chest Federation
John j. Anderson. administrator
OF Arlington Hospital, told the
Budget Committee his institution .
already is making an appeal for
funds to carry it through the rest
of this year and to build up q
reserve to complete purchase of the
institution from the Federal Gov
ernment. which built it.
There has been much talk in the
Metropolitan Area of the hospitals
conducting campaign of their own.
But several spokeSmen at the open
Budget Committee meeting yester-
day expressed the hope that suffi
cient funds might be obtained
through the Chest Federation in
stead.
First Open 10 Press.
The budget hearing was the first
in the history of the Chest Fedora
ton or the Washington Community i
Chest thrown open to the press. AT
the conclusion of the session Frank
Birgfeld, chairman, announced the
problem will be taken under consid-
Grafton, first by the hospital sub
committee headed by Marcellus
Shield, later by the full budget COM
mittee.
The entire budget will be ready for
presentation to the Federation eX-
ecutive committee about the middle
of July, he said. +,
Among hospital spokesmen stress
ing the higher cost of care and need
for more funds were: Arkell B. Cook
of Garfield. j. G. Capossela of Emer-
gency, DR.. Montgomery Blair of
Children's and Sister Jane of Prov
idence.
John A. Reilly, treasurer of the
Chest Federation. also spoke.