Evening star., 1957-04-20
|lndigent Clinic
Funds Cut Off
At ; Hospitals
Health Agency Acts
In Attempt to Stoy
| Within Its Budget

OAoIIlCt phyuleIlCS 10 tQfee pfl-
vate hospitals for the care of
new INDECENT clinic patients dur
ing the rest Of the current fiscal
year are being cut of by the
Health Department in an at
tempt to live within it's budget,
IDr. Frederick c. Heath, acting
director. declared today.
The department hopes it can
avoid a request for a deficit
appropriation by keeping its
programs. including the medical
charity program, within their
ALLOTTED financial limits, he in
dicated.
| Yesterday it was revealed that
Health Director Daniel Leo Finu-
cane wrote Emergency, George
town and Garfield Memorial
hospitals earlier in the week
Saying that they cannot apply
to the District for approval Of
new clinic admissions beginning
May / for the rest of the present
fiscal year.
May Affect 1000
In effect, unless the hospitals
decide to foot the bills them
selves, up to 1000 new clinic
patients may have to travel to the
already seriously overcrowded
District General Hospital OUT
patient department rather than
use clinics in their own areas.
| William M. Bucher, executive
director of the Washington Hos
Ipital Council. which represents
most of the areas private hos
pitfalls, termed the cutoff as the
first time in the medical chari.
ties program when patients in
need will be forced to do this.
! He added that "This is the
first time the department has
manipulated its program so as
not to incure a deficit"
| But, Mr.. Bucher pointed out:
THE Health Department has
requested adequate funds from
the Commissioners which were
not given consideration. The
actual needs of the program now
prove that the Health Depart
ment requests have been mini
NAL"
Deficit Rises
| At Emergency Hospital alone,
the total over-expenditure was
$9,18l as Of last october 81. The
planned admission program was
then dropped but, despite this.
the deficit increased to $10,368
by last March l.
"As the elimination of planned
admissions was insufficient to
remove the over-expenditure,"
the health director wrote. 1t is
necessary to take further steps.
Until further notice, no new
patients will be approved for
District payment for clinic visits
from May /, 1857, on"
Similar letters were sent to
Georgetown and Garfield Me-
mortal Hospitals.
1t was pointed out, however.
that only new out-patients will
be affected. Those already on
the clinic rosters will continue
to be approved.
The current budget for the
medical charities program totals
$l,045 900 as it affects the pri-
Ivate hospitals with contracts
with the District.
Hospitals Also Losing
/ Mr.. Bucher pointed out that
the hospitals are already losing
money on INDECENT care. APP
Ipeals are currently being made
TO Congress to increase the rate
of $l4 per day for in-patients
and $40 per. visit for clinic pa
Itients. The Hospital Council is
asking at least $3.50 and $3.50
to defray some of the loss under
the program.
The House Appropriations
Committee went along with an
increase to SIC per day and a
small increase for out-patient
visits.
Each of the hospitals partici-
lpating in the medical charities
program is allotted certain
amounts of money for emer-
gency patients. out-patients and
planned admissions.
The three institutions men,
toned have exceeded certain Of
their allotments. Increase
emergency admissions were
blamed primarily as the cause.
Whether the three affected
hospitals will continue to accept
new clinic patients as a matter
of policy has yet to be decided.