Evening star., 1949-02-04
Chest toSurvey
Savings Under
Ruling
LiberoIized Policy on
disqualification to
Shift Some Charges
By George Beveridue

SusbA SVuIS ~ss0sSS
By George Beveridee
The Community Chest Federation
will begin an analysis within the
next 10 days to determine how
many needy hospital patients, whose
bills have been paid partly by Chest
funds in the past, 1t can expect the
District Government to care for In
the future.
Chest officials expect the reduction
in its disqualification expenses as q
result of the Commissioners actor,
yesterday, liberalizing the Districts
INDECENT patient policies.
The District heads ruled the city
should pay private hospitals for
Treating emergency. resident INDECENT
patients, even If the patients can
afford to pay some part of their own
bills. The order adopted the same
low-income standards required for
the care of indigents at tax-sup.
ported Gallinger Hospital.
During the last six months, the
District has paid the nine hospitals
only for treating patients considered
so destitute they could pay nothing
toward the expenses.
In other developments closely con-
nected with the policy change, mean
while:
/. Hospital leaders were sched-
uled to testify at pm. today be.
fore a House Appropriations SUBJ
INDECENT program for the year be-
ginning July /. Congress appropri-
ated S690,000 for the current year
and the Commissioners asked for
the same amount for fiscal 1850.
2. Health Department officials said
they may have to review large
number of claims from private hos
pitals, turned down during the last
several months because of the rigid
policies.
Edward J. Keyes, Chest fedora
tion executive director, said no at.
tempt will be made to allocate
disqualification funds from the re-
cent campaign, until the analysis
Is finished.
But we are now in the position"
he declared. ito find out how many
patients who have been our respon-
sibility in the past now can be taken
over by the District as tax-eligible
indigents."
Chest Pays S11 a Day.
Mr.. Keyes said the Hospital Serv-
ice Agency, which decides whether
patients are eligible for Chest aid,
has submitted complete study Of
income, residency and emergency
status of such patients during 1948.
This will be the basis Of the analysis
to determine size Of the alloca-
ton.
The Chest has agreed to pay
IL private hospitals Sill for each
day of care given to approved pa
tients. In view Of failure Of the
recent campaign, and with the ex-
ipected patient load, hospital ofi-
cials feel there will not be suff1-
cient funds to pay the increased
rate for the entire year. Last year,
rate of $3.50 was agreed upon,
but this was reduced during several
months.
John P. Sanderson, head of the
Health Departments Hospital Per-
NIT Bureau, meanwhile, said 1t Is
his understanding that the new
city policies will be retroactive to
last July /. In this case, he said,
hospitals would be able to resubmit
claims that were turned down under
the past rigid standards.
"Of course, We would net be will.
ing to pay for any one we were
never asked to approve" he said.
"We would have no records or any
knowledge of them
Few Claims Approved.
Hospital officials were unable to
estimate how many of their Char
ity' patients will qualify for aid
from the District under the more
liberal policies. 1t was pointed out,
however, that the Health Depart
ment has been able to pay hos
pitals less than one-third of the
appropriation during the first half
of the year, under the rigid income
limits liberalized only yesterday.
Records showed that, during the
five months beginning last July. ap-
proved claims totaled only about
s205 900 of the $690,000 appropria-
ton.
The Commissioners closely fol-
lowed the Corporation Counsel's rul-
ing that residents need not be des-
titute to be considered INDECENT.
Therefore, it was decided the city
could collect partial payments from
these indigents, according to their
ability to pay.
The city heads failed to act on .
proposal by Health Officer George G.
Ruhland-to increase the family in
come limits that determine indi-
gency.
Another important provision ap-
proved, however, modified a barrier
to District aid for persons who had
as much as $500 equity in property.
The new provision allows that
amount of interest in a home, IL
i the eulIity cannot be borrowed llpon.