Evening star., 1948-10-03
Hospital Claims
For|ndigentAid
AwaitCongress
Small Appropriations
Blamed for Failure
To Pay $4,000
By George Beveridqe

The District failed to pay three
Washington hospitals about $1O2, 900
for treating INDECENT patients dur
ing the year that ended June 80 be-
cause of an insufficient Congression-
al appropriation, 1t was learned yes
terday.
This is in addition to thousands
OF dollars-needed to pay bills
which the city still owes several of
the institutions for such treatment
since July l. This money is being
held up until the District prepares
contracts covering the payments and
submits them to nine local hospitals
Until July /, such contracts were
granted only to three hospitals
Emergency, Casualty and Children's
While the three submitted charges
during the year for 1922, ,742. 10,
Health Department records showed,
available appropriations covered
only 100000.
Only S320, 900 Paid.
Health Department officials said
the 100000 was paid and that the
Commissioners will be asked to re-
guest a deficiency appropriation for
the unpaid $102,742.70 But this
can not be taken care of, they added
until the new Congress meets again
next year.
Duling the fiscal year 1948, Chill
dren's Hospital computed charges of
$191 ,227. records showed, and was
paid $4,000. This left an unpaid
amount Of only $1,227.
Treatment for indigents at
Emergency Hospital, however. ran
up to $51 1,256.60 over the $65,OO0 it
was paid and Casualty claimed $50,-
259.l0 more than the $65,000 paid
out of the appropriation, officials
said.
Payments, under the old contrac cts,
were to be made at the rate of $3.50
for each day of bed care given to
patients for whom the District gov
ernment agreed to accept RESPONSE
bility: 81 for each clinic visit: $2.25
for each ambulance run, 81 for
emergency cases not requiring bed
care, 80 cents for redresSings given
the patients and $l.50 for X-rays.
Extended to Six More.
For the year beginning July /,
Congress instructed the District to
extend such contracts to six addi-
tional hospitals, which complained
that they also were caring for pa
tients eligible for treatment at tax
supported Gallinger Hospital. An
appropriation of $735,ooO was
granted.
This appropriation, 1t was learned,
will bring allocations for Emer-
eency, Casualty and Children's
much closer to the amounts they
claimed for treating indigents dur
ing the year ending June 80. and
will make other funds available to
the other six institutions.
Health officials said about $45 900
Of the $735 900 is earmarked for
expenses at the Washington Home
for Incurables. These, they reported,
are figures on ALLEGATIONS for the
nine hospitals during this year:
Emergency. $12S,97l; Casualty,
$136,071; Children's. $4,000; Co.
lumbia, $2,980: Episcopal, $34,590
Georgetown, $56,828; George Wash
ington, 1854; Providence, $75,949,
and Garfield, $47.91S.
Placed on Monthly Basis.
The money for each hospital will
be divided into quarterly ALLEGATIONS,
health officials said, but explained
that payments will be made on a
monthly basis-as soon as the con-
tracts are finished.
Until the terms of payment are
defined In contracts, however, hos
pital leaders complain that they
don't know exactly what the Dis
trict intends to pay for. Differences
of opinion at the Health Depart
ment and District Building about
how far the city should go in as
suming responsibility for payment
was blamed by several of1icials for
the delay.
What officials termed final
drafts" of the contracts were re-
ported to be under preparation now
by an assistant corporation counsel.