The Rodney Moran stepped on
a nail and he's getting treatment without
question, Denton's public hospital.
But next month, that will change
flow. Memorial is operated jointly by
the city of Denton and Denton County.
But for the past two years, Flo Memorial
has lost money.
In fact, in nineteen eighty four, the
hospital had four and a half million
dollars in unpaid patient bills.
Some of that is for indigent care, but
two and a half million is from bad debts.
So beginning next month, Flo Memorial
will refuse to treat non-emergency
patients who owe the hospital money.
It's become a problem all over the
Metroplex, all over the nation at this
point in time as to where those patients
will go.
All I can say is that if it's not
something that's life threatening, limb
threatening or emergency otherwise, that
the patient will have to find some other
way to take care of his his medical need.
Jeff Haussler stresses that no emergency
case will be turned away and the hospital
will continue to treat patients who
qualify for indigent care.
But patients with bad debts will have to
go elsewhere.
Didn't ask to private hospitals both
have restrictions on treating patients
who owe money flow.
Memorial officials say something had to
be cut or the hospital would close.
Administrators believe this new policy
will save the hospital one million
dollars this year alone.
And in the meantime, a task force between
the city and county will be meeting next
week to try to find a permanent solution
to the hospital's financial problems.
Jane Boone, Channel 5 News Denton.