Evening star., 1948-03-25
Private Hospitals
Ask DC. toPay
For |ndigents
Commissioners Told
Some Institutions
Moy Have to Close

49,
Representatives Of Washington
private hospitals today asked the
Commissioners to support their re-
quest that the city pay them SIC
day for treatment of INDECENT
patients and 81 for out-patient
clinical visits.
In the case Of hospitals holding
contracts with the city-Emergency
Casualty and Children's-indigent
patients are being cared for without
adequate payment from the District
hospital spokesmen said. The city
pays them $3.50 a day. 1t pays
nothing to Columbia, Episcopal
Georgetown, George Washington
Providence and Garfield Hospitals
Meeting Scheduled.
The city heads are scheduled to
appear before the House Appropria-
tions Subcommittee headed by Rep
resentative Horan. Republican, OF
Washington next Tuesday to declare
whether they intend to support the
private hospitals stand and, if So
to what extent.
After today's District Building
conference between the city heads
and the hospital representatives
Commissioner Guy Mason said he
was in sympathy with the serious
financial plight of the six private
hospitals and the three hospitals
under contract to the District, but
added he did not know where the
money to help them would come
from.
Budget Officer Walter Fowler pre-
dicted the plan would cost the Dis
trict 81 900 900 a year
Leading the spokesmen for the
hospitals was Attorney Daniel w
O'Donoghue, jr., chairman of the
Committee on Reimbursement for
Eligible Care of the Hospital
Council of the National Capital
Area.
Black Picture Painted.
He painted a black picture of the
financial condition of District pri-
vate hospitals, many of which, he
said. operated at substantial deficits
In 1947.
Several hospitals might have to
close their doors unless some relief
can be granted" Mr.. ODonoghue
declared.
"The District government has a
special concern and responsibility in
this matter, because a substantial
part of the heavy losses sustained by
many of our hospitals has resulted
largely from the fact that these hos
pitals are caring for INDECENT pa
tients without any payment"
Karl York, superintendent ofathe
Arlington County Hospital, pointed
out that the American Hospital As
sociation has compiled figures
showing that the national average
cost per day is $13 a patient. After
Mr.. York suggested the Commits
sioners might settle on Gallinger
Hospitals average cost per day. Mr..
Mason recalled that the last avail
able Gallinger figure was about
s9.40 q day per patient.
A summary of services to INDECENT
patients by the nine hospitals for
1947, Mr.. O'Donoghue told the Com
missioners, showed that the services
cost the hospitals $698,041 at an
average daily cost of $12.56. OF
the contract hospitals, he said, Chill
drens Hospital spent $180,587;
Casualty, $124,727, and Emergency,
s114,730, In turn, Children's re-
ceived s15O,000 from the District,
while Casualty received $107 600,
and Emergency Hospital is due to
receive $4,000.
The other six private hospitals
must write off their expenses for
INDECENT patients as total losses in
the following amounts: Columbia,
S4,242; Episcopal, $35,775; George
town, S66,590; George Washington,
S5,435; Providence, $81, ,149, and Gar
field, S84,8O4.
Cases Can't Be Turned Away.
The hospital representatives told
the Commissioners their HOSPITALS
cannot turn away emergency cases
and send them to Gallinger because
sometimes immediate treatment is
the only difference between life and
death.
Henry p Blair, vice chairman of
the board of the Episcopal Hospital
declared the hospitals cannot main
tain this burden. He said Episcopal
lost between $4,000 and 10000 last
year. Mr.. Blair said Episcopal re-
celves many eye cases which come to
the clinic and then become patients.
William r. Castle, chairman of
Garfield Hospital, said Garfield has
spent all but about $4,000 of its
small endowment in the past year.
Statement Amplified.
"We are in a terrifically bad way"
Mr.. Castle told the Commissioners
His statement was amplified by A.
B. Cook, superintendent of Garfield.
who said the hospital lost 500, 5000
last year on INDECENT patients.
Mr.. ODonoghue, after present.
ing the Commissioners with a de-
tailed report of the financial stu
alton of the member hospitals, de-
clared:
We are instructed by the Hos
pital Association to ask for our
exact costs"
When Commissioner Mason told
him the District would be unable to
participate in payment plan in
volving different costs for different
hospitals, Mr.. ODonoghue sug-
gested adoption of the Maryland
plan, whereby the hospitals are paid
$40 if the cost is more than that and
the cost itself if it is less than $40
In previous year, Community
Chest funds were available to assist
private hospitals treating INDECENT
patients. Chest officials decided last
year that private charity should nc
longer assume a. financial burden
which, they said, was properly the
taxpayers responsibility. Commun.
ity Chest money now is limited te
families who are ineligible TO,
treatment at public expense but
whose budgets cannot cope with
hospital bills.