Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-22
7-Yeor Figure
Cited to Show
Aid Inodequucy
By CHARLES G. BROOKS

seven years because District pay
ments are too low, a survey by
The Star revealed today.
This figure would be consider
ably increased if it were based
on actual costs to the institu-
tons involved, the Washington
Hospital Council pointed out.
Instead, the figure is conserva-
tive and represents the difference
between bills sent to the Health
Department at agreed prices and
the amount of actual reimburse
ment to the hospitals.
The total effect on the aver
age citizen who pays for mis-
disqualification is that he must
help make UP much of this loss.
Go to Congress
Tomorrow the private hos
pitfalls are scheduled to be heard
by a Senate committee. taking
their pleas for a raise in pay
ments directly to the Congress
again over the heads Of the
District Commissioners who
turned down a Health Depart
ment request for much the same
thing.
THE present situation with
respect to the contracting
hospitals is deplorable and de-
mands relief" James H. Lemon.
chairman of the Children's
Hospital board of trustees, de-
clared.
The survey came up with the
following minimum losses as
stated by the eight hospitals.
with contracts for INDECENT care
with the Health Department
since the summer of 1919:
Children's, 1888, 900. =
Emergency, $48l. 800.
Casualty, $364,400.
Providence, 1851 900.
George Washington. $3.50, 900.
Georgetown, 1926, 900.
Garfield, $4,000.
Episcopal, incomplete because
of missing records.
These figures, William Butcher.
executive director Of the Hospital
Council declared, omit many
large expenses involved in the
care Of indigents which are not
recorded and could run much
higher.
Training ut Stake
All Of the hospital administra-
tors agree that one Of the essen
tial necessities for continued
good standards Of hospital care is
a training program. Without q
good training program, q hospi-
tai is hard-put to find interns
and residents which constitute
its 24-hour house staff to watch
over all patients.
But interns and residents are
not attracted by q hospital which
does not care for indigents. The
reason is that with private. pay
ing patients the major medical
problems are solved by private
physicians and the house staff
generally follows the private doc
tors orders.
With the indigents. the house
staff can actively doctor. giving
the same and often higher stand
ards Of care.
Someone Must Pay
! Richard M. Loughery. admin
istrator of the Garfield Memorial
Hospital, who has also been
named deputy administrator of
the new Washington Hospital
Center. declared:
when a bill is not paid, either
by private patient or by the
city for one of its wards, some
one else must pay it. Our hos
pital has no excess profits to
distribute to stockholders.
! I'VE desire to give the best
possible medical care. We pro-
vide the same type Of care to
the person who doesn't pay his
bills as we do to the patient who
does.
But. someone must pay it."
/ Mr.. Butcher pointed out that
the average cost per patient-day
in the area hospitals now runs
to about $27 or more. The pres
lent reimbursement rate for in
digents is $l4 per day for in
patients and $40 per visit for
outpatients.
House Agreed to Raise
A month ago. the House agreed
to raise this as a result Of pleas
from the hospitals to SIG per
day and So per visit. 1t also
agreed to a 100000 increase to
the present appropriation Of
81, 045. 900 for INDECENT care in
these institutions but provided
that only 278,000 Of this would
go to the eight hospitals. The
remainder would 60 to Freed
mems Hospital, Federal insti-
tuition, and three convalescent
homes here.
But the hospitals, spearheaded
by Mr.. Lemon Of Children's, be-
lieve that they should be reim-
Ibursed at least the same amount
nc costs the District General
Hospital to perform the same
service. The stated cost at d. c.
General as Of June 80. 1855, was
$3.50 per inpatient day and
$3.50 per clinic visit. AS Of June
80 last year, this had risen to
si9.3s per inpatient day. Mr..
Butcher said.
The Hospital Council, made up
of all of the Metropolitan Areas
private, voluntary hospitals.
wants the Senate to add another
100000 to the House addition.
but which will still be some
100000 less than the Health
Department originally asked the
Commissioners for in preparing
) the 1858 fiscal years budget.