Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-06-04
Congress Gets
Hospital Plea
On Indigents
BY CHARLES G. BROOKS
Star Stan Writer

V0oAAAA6 wa . RAANogC AAOoRA-
tails and the District Medical
Society yesterday appealed to
Congress over the heads of the
Commissioners for a sharp in
crease in payments for the care
of indigents.
DR.. William p. Herbst, chair
man Of the Medical Society's
advisory committee to the
Health Department, called on
Congress to raise the payments
because "the lack Of available
financial resources is adversely
affecting the people in WASH
ington hospitals"
He testified at a public hear
ing before the House Appro-
priations Subcommittee on the
District Budget.
James Lemon, representing
the Washington Hospital Coun-
ell, told the subcommittee,
headed by Representative Ra-
baut, Democrat of Michigan,
that:
I'VE Of the contract hospi-
tails are in q precarious finan-
cial position because of our
support of the tax eligible In
digent program and we need
your help"
Georgetown Represented
The Rev. Edward B. Bum,
president Of the Georgetown
University Medical School, de-
clared that appropriations
and reimbursement rates must
be more in line with existing
and recognized needs and che
present day costs"
The Rev. Thomas J. ODon-
nell, regent Of the Georgetown
school, added that 1t is "un-
realistic" for the District to
place indigents In private hos
pitfalls for less money than It
costs in District General Hos
pital, the city's municipal In
Stitution.
DR.. Herbst pointed out that
the Health Department for
fiscal 1858 requested $1,721, 24S
for the medical charities pro-
gram, much Of which is used
to reimburse the private hos
pitfalls for participation. The
Commissioners cut this figure
to $1,045, 900. Congress raised it
to 81. 484.S00.
But, he said, because Of the
reduction from the amount re-
uuested, the money has been
nearly used up, forcing many
of the private hospitals to
either slash their INDECENT care
programs or suffer further
losses.
Cites Slash
DR.. HerbSt recalled that for
fiscal 1859 the department,
supported by the Medical
Society and the Hospital Coun-
Gil, asked for q medical chari-
ties budget Of $1,797, 800 but
that the Commissioners cut the
request to $780, 800.
Mr.. Lemon pointed out that
the Commissioners would raise
the rate per inpatient day from
$18 to 1855 as compared TO
the Health Department request
of 1899, the cost per day at
the District General Hospital.
The average cost per inpatient
day to private hospitals was
cited at $2S.
He said Children'S Hospital
alone lost $246. 900 for the rs
cal 1857 program, according to
auditors.
Father Bum declared the
annual and historical short
age Of funds is the only thing
we can be embarrassed about
In the INDECENT care program.
He termed 1t q shortage which
subjects US all to much criti-
ciSm."
This shortage Of funds" he
added, becomes more acute
each year and might well force
one or several Of the voluntary
hospitals to withdraw from the
program for financial reasons.
thereby necessitating extensive
capital expenditures on the
part Of the District govern
ment.
Problems Raised
'In spite Of the humanitarian
attitude of the voluntary hos
pitfalls. the fact remains that
we are sustaining large finan-
cial losses in caring for the