Evening star., 1949-02-22
Reyes Reports
$2O0,000Chest
Gain by Ruling
Cites Effect of D. c.
Paying for Hospital
Care Of Indigents

tion's budget outlook for 1949 ha.
been frightened by the fact thai
the District will foot the bill fol
many patients. formerly cared fol
out of private funds, the Chest
Executive Committee was told yes.
terday.
The committee met to hear re.
ports of Executive Director Ed.
ward j. Keyes and the budget
committee on how the $3,435, ,554
collected in last falls campaign
should be distributed among thu
six member chests of the Fedora.
ton, the USO and the Hospita
Fund.
They learned that the new order
of the District Commissioners
signed February 3, has resulted ir
liberalization of the term "indi.
gent" which will allow the Dis.
trlct to take over the responsi.
bility for hospital care Of some
5000 persons cared for out o1
Chest funds last year.
To Release $500, 900.
The order will make available to
the Chest about 100000 more for
distribution to its member agen-
cies than would otherwise have
been possible, according to Mr.
KeyeS' report. 1t also will allow
the member chests to receive the
same allotments they received in
1948.
This is a brighter prospect than
was possible before the Commits
sioners' action allowed reduction
in the Chests disqualification fund
below original estimates. The
failure of the campaign (Which
had goal of $4,566,79O would
. have made it impossible "to
, finance a balanced, well-rounded
) community program of health
welfare and recreational services
within the resources available, >
Mr.. Keyes said.
The director presented the Ex-
ecutive Committee with a revised
figure for the disqualification fund
which had been set at $3.50 ,0UC
in pre-campaign estimates. That
figure now should be reduced tc
$482, ,460, he said.
Second Factor Involved.
Two factors entered into reduc-
ing this figure, Mr.. Keyes ex-
planned. The first was the order
of the Commissioners: the other.
a revision of the estimated
patient-load for 1949, based on
actual figures for 1948.
The estimate of this patient
load, made before the figures were
available, set the number of adult
impatient days for the year at
$1,000. The actual number last
year was 69.480.
The commissioners order will
further reduce this figure to 49.940
patient-days. if it is applied liter
ally. To this will be added $4,000
baby-care days and $4,000 clinic
visits. The total cost for non-tax-
supported patients is expected to
be S673, $40. Mr.. Keyes said, of
which S123,340 will be recap
tured" from patients who pay a
part of their bills. bringing the
total needed from the federation
to meet the full estimated load for
1949 to S550.000.
In estimating the share of the
total campaign take" to go tc
the disqualification fund, there
fore, the director said he split the
difference between $446,492 anc
$518,428 (the share which the funG
would have received under the ole
system).
This ALLEGATION will provide &
disqualification fund about IL pei
cent greater than that in 1915
and still will allow the member
chests amounts for 1949 that are
not less than last years alloca.
tions, the director said.
The report of the Budget Com
mittee, presented by Frank A
Birgfeld, chairman, contained a
statement of the Hospital Council
representing Casualty. Episcopal
Garfield, Georgetown, George
Washington, Children's. Columbia
Providence, Suburban, Alexandria
and Arlington Hospitals.
Require Chest Payments.
The report stated: "It is the
position of the hospitals, in view
of their current financial situa-
ton, that = " they can only take
Chest patients as long as the Chest
continues to pay each hospital the
agreed rate of $11 a day for in
patients and 81 for each clinic
patient. The hospitals are re-
gretfully forced to announce that
at such time as the Chest ceases
to meet these payments, they car
no longer accept Chest certifica.
tionS."
The Budget Committee recon.
mended the rate proposals of the
Hospital Council be accepted
with the understanding that thu
hospitals will take care of emer.
gency cases, even if there is NJ
money from the federation to pay
for such cases. y"
Recommended Alocations.
The Budget Committees report
which was unanimously adopted
recommended that ALLEGATIONS O.
present Chest funds be approved
as follows:
1949 Contribution, as Of
January 81 $3,435,5547 z
Cash balance from 194S 1O1 ,070e
Total funds --------- $3,536, 1857
1919 headquarters expenses S326,43O0
LOCAL share to National
CONTINGENCY fund 37,6150
Retirement reserve - 75,O00.O
Shrinkage reserve 239, 800 Oh