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Show WEEKLY NEWS JOURNAL, NORTH DAVIS LEADER, JULY 9, 1981 REFLEX-DA- VIS a 0 Handling Indigent Claims Is Toughest County Job Charges County T ries To Avoid Hospital Costs By MARK D. MICKELSEN A representaLAYTON tive of the Davis North Medical Center Tuesday charged that members of the county indigent board dodged full payment of hospital bills accumulated by indigent Davis County residents, saying there were times during the short-live- d program when hospital officials did not know if they would ever be reimbursed for their services. at that point, was to do nothing. Morgan explained. In some cases the county did pay between percent, depending upon the nature of the claim. In 1979. Com. Wendell Zaugg developed a specific indigent program in which officials at the medical center were asked to report all indigent claims back to the commission. If an indigent resident qualified for help, county officials agreed to consider the claim. tie, if any communication.' A COUNTY indigent board was set up during the first part of 1981 Marilyn Kelsey began work with the medical center and county as an indigent claims investigator. According sion's position, 30-4- 0 worked very hard with the hospital" and did everything in her power to coordinate incoming claims. "The only connection (with county) we got was through Marilyn. Without her, there would not have been a (indigent) program." he said BETWEEN 1977-7Davis North Medical Center began accepting some indigent claims from county residents unable to pay for medical services. The county commis MORGAN SAID the county continued to pay claims at be- tween - IN A LETTER to the council, Chamber President Dean Holman said the sports complex would be a valuable asset for the community and its youth. What's good for the citys residents will also be good for the city's businesses, he said. The complex will offer people ye percent. We kept on their (commission's) back." he said, because 60 percent of a claim w as not enough. To meet hospital costs, he said the county would have to pay 100 percent. THEN, IN May 1980. commissioners adopted a resolution spelling out the criteria lor indigents and indigent claims. As we understood it." Morgan said, the county was going to pay 100 percent of the claim." But as medical center personnel began submitting claims back to the county, Morgan said, we got very lit- - The FARMINGTON county could form a rede- velopment agency with nine or ten other cities as an aid to commercial and industrial development. THAT COULD help stimulate growth and enable the county to participate in expected boom energy projects in southern Utah, Bountiful Redevelopment Agency Director V.A. Kit Bettilyon told the countys economic development board last week during their regular monthly meeting. "It's the goose that laid a golden egg it's designed to produce income," he said, noting that tax returns from such projects normally generate as much as $ 0 for every $ I invested. ILLUSTRATING what can in a happen to generate taxes short time, Mr. Bettilyon said the redevelopment agency's MR. HOLMAN said he supported the survey questionnaire approved by the council. If the survey shows the community desires the construction of a sports complex, he said, the city should take quick action in implementing plans for the project. The sports complex, com- has nearly bined with the recently-complete- d city park, repre- sents a postitive approach in planning for the needs of Layton's growing population, he said. Courthouse Lease Is Approved - A lease FARMINGTON agreement allowing the Utah Department of Public Safety to relocate their driver's license bureau on the main floor of the Farmington courthouse was approved Tuesday by the county commission. THE COMMISSION allocated 1,196 square feet ot space to the bureau, formerly located in the basement of the courthouse. The lease agreement calls for a monthly rental fee on the space of $573 at $5.75 per square foot. The toal yearly cost to the Utah Department of Public Safety is $6,877. commisioners Harry Gerlach and Ernest Eberhard sighed the lease. COUNTY Com. Glen Saunders was absent. The new bureau office is open and in full operation. income has grown from $32,000 in 1978 to nearly $400,000 now, thanks primarily to the opening of a grocery-drustore. Although the general im- g pression of redevelopment finds visions of tearing down blighted dow ntow n sections of cities, the county could use such a project to start an industrial park in an outlying area, for instance, based on a broad definition of "purging of blight' that might even include a swamp area. start-uA LARGE fee" isnt necessary to get a redevelopment agency going, he explained, noting the commission could loan such funds and p in AND HOW much does Com. Eberhard say the county pays, traditionally? "About 60 percent, she said. The commissioner also said the amount of claims to be paid will be determined in the final meeting of the indigent board. AND WHAT if the county doesnt pay Davis North Medical Center the full amount? Mr. Morgan says he isnt sure what will happen. I dont know if there is enough money (due) here to warrant legal action or not. of the county commission, the indigent BY ORDER program has been turned over to the state. According to Com. Harry B. Gerlach, the county will pay one-quart- mill, or approximately $100,000 each year to maintain MORGAN SAID he then wrote a letter to the county commission asking why only 60 percent had been paid. never reCom. Eberhard sponded to my letter, Morgan said, nor could I ever get together with the indigent board. The communication a local alternative for their recreation which, in the end. will increase the tax base. expect repayment guidelines. She said the maximum amount allowable under medicaid is 80 percent. YE DIDNT know at that time, if any of the (unpaid) bills would ever be paid. Morgan said the medical center received a $5,000 check recently from the county to cover a portion of the claims, but noted that currently, only 60 percent of the total claims have been paid. been three years the earliest actual revenue could be expected. Revenue equals that amount of tax dollars generated by any new projects, such as a new store, over what was there before. Com. Harry Gerlach Sr., a member of the economic development board, expressed concern the county would set up such an agency to include the proposed Chevron shale plant and then it could be annexed into North Salt Lake. THOSE TAX dollars generated through redevelopment would continue reverting to the agency until they were no longer called for, whether the plant was in the county or city, Mr. Bettilyon said. The legislature has provided an R.A. with the same powers as a developer in its ability to t. NEITHER MORGAN, Com. Eberhard or Mrs. Kelsey would estimate the tot- al amount of unpaid claims due Davis North Medical Center. There are still some claims pending which we are investi the state program. The contract will be renewable on a yearly basis. The commission voted to bow out of the indigent business after a futile search for an insurance company to cover the program. Com. Gerlach avoided taking a stand on the issue, claiming that a number of agreements about indigent care were organized prior to the new commissions taking office. WHETHER THE county is responsible for any further un- paid bills at Davis North Medical Center I dont know, the commissioner said. plan what should go on a piece of property but added that such an agency cant take income and property and merely hold it. We are not a profit agency, he said, adding the agency could give land away if it felt that was the best way to assure development or it could return some of its excess money for other city projects if it so chose. GO ERNING body for the county would probably include the county commission or the economic development board, Mr. Bettilyon conjectured, indicating projects must be okayed by the county commission in the end, anyway. Some may complain the private sector gains from R.A. activitiy but to that he said, What were trying to accomplish is to get a healthy community. Im not too concerned if we help the retailer at the same time. HE USED a hypothetical example of the ABC Co. moving in with an $18 million project, netting $180,000 in taxes a year. If they asked the city or county for $1 million in assistance over a ten year period, the county could cut the firm's taxes in half, giving them nearly that amount while still aiding the governing entity. And after ten years all taxes w'ould revert to the city or county. An what helps one area helps another, he emphasized, A as new jobs and income sources are generated affecting a wide area. THE R.A. does have authority to condemn property but in Bountiful, for instance, two appraisers are hired for each project. If the two appraisals are within 15 percent of each other, the highest is paid to the property owner, he said, noting that is the best policy where an owner might not be anxious to sell and is better than forcing the matter into limbo for one year by court ac- tion, etc. where the price would probably go up that much. He also emphasized that an R.A. is subject to the master It plan of the area it serves. has no power to adjust or change zoning. EXPLAINING its role as primarily a catalyst he said the R.A. could start an industrial park, for example, and be very kind to the first one or two groups that move in and could Schedules 5 Mile Run July The second artnual Woods Cross Five Miler will be held July II at 8 a.m. It will start in front of the historic Eutaw Cabin in Woods Cross City Park located on the comer of 1500 S. and 800 W. THE FIVE mile course is flat. Much of the roads have been freshly repaired providYou ing a very smooth surface. at Deboer's can gent medical care when he fell off the bar stool and broke his leg; the man who was stabbed during a fight in a bar; and the woman who wanted indigent care although both she and her husband were working. R. BLODGETT Are FARMINGTON Utahs indigent care programs too lenient. Are Utah and Davis County taxpayers being taken advantage of by unauthorized persons? BUT THE welfare case "to take the cake although it does not pertain directly to indigent care is the case of Weber County where a woman moved to Utah in 1979 with one child, eight months pregnant with another, and not yet divorced. State Senator Bryce C. Flamm said he made personal THIS question meets with a lot of conTWO-barrele- d troversy, especially from those who work closely with the indigent care program of Davis County. Handling indigent claims has been the hardest part of my job as county commissioner, said Commission Chairman Ernest Eberhard, who has been assigned the unpleasant and thankless task for the past couple of years. have up to $2,250 in savings. SHE STRESSED, however, that their are other strict guidelines that the county must follow especially dealing with income of the person or family involved. Only "low income familes can be termed indigent. Tere are also restrictions placed on types of medical service with qualify for indigent aid. These shall be generally limited to treatment of acute or disorders and infections. There will be no reimbursement to persons for elective surgery. contact with the person involved late last Apnl and, by the woman's own admission, is receiving the following state welfare aid: YOURE ALWAYS behind the eight ball when it comes to dealing with indigent cases because you must be concerned about the taxpayers money being spent as well as paying for the care of those who need COLLEGE TUITION and books, $140; aid for her two children, (cash), $348; food stamps, $91; rent subsidy, $183; day care service for her children, $200; medical care, $150; dental care, $32; legal services, $25; social security, $100; federal income tax if employed, $230; and state tax if employed, $60. Thats a total of $1,569 of equivalent salary per month! it." But he was quick to add, We could take care of the poor without too much trouble. Its the dependent those who rely on someone else for everything they have that create the problems. THE CASES earlier referred to in Davis County were not paid by indigent care funds because they did not meet the criteria as established by the State Policy and Procedure Manual of the Indigent Medical Care Program. Marilyn Kelsey, investigator of indigent medical claims for the county through the United Way, explained that no IM NOT against helping those who really need help, the true indigent person, he said. But there are far too many who are dependent on the government although they have the ability to pay. Those are the ones that I cant tolerate. Com. Eberhard admits that Davis County has had its share of the latter, as well as those who have applied for indigent care without good reason. alcohol-relate- d injuries or illnesses are treated as indigent cases. WEVE HAD claims from those who have no good reason to look for handouts," AMONG OTHER welfare income guidelines, indigents are classified as those persons who do not have the capability to pay for medical services rendered. However, an indigent" may own a home, a car and have $1,500 in savings. If the indigent is married, they may he said, citing a few cases that vividly stand out in his mind. Like the woman who came to Utah for an operation to help her get pregnant because her home state wouldnt do the operation as an indigent; the man who applied for indi MOST EMERGENCY services are allowable for indigent care but inpatient care is more selective and limited usually for only the first five days but in some cases extended to long-tercare. Mrs. Kelsey emphasized that indigent care last resort and that possible, indigent funneled to other is only the where ever claims are agencies especially insurance companies and chanty organizations. WHO DETERMINES if a claimant is eligible for indigent aid? In Davis County, a screening committee reviews every application and each claim is investigated by Mrs. Kelsey, whose pnmary job is to see that if at all possible the payment of medical service is made by someone other than the county. three-memb- DAVIS COUNTY Commission does not accept or reject any application. This is done by the screening committee and the commission acts only as an appeals board. Com. Eberhard emphasized. Nearly all applications are originated by the county's tow hospitals with a vast majority of the claims coming from Davis North Medical Center. WE HAVE received only a few indigent claims from Lake- - 11 Running Store or show up bea.m. on the morntween The fee is $2. race. the of ing The fee will be used to cover awards for all divisions, refreshments, and chronometer and other materials. There will be divisions for both men and women. TAC cards are not required. For more information or call John Paul, Brad Woodworth, 2924155. 295-808- manage it but they would have to have the idea of getting out. Let them (private sector) run their own thing. I think you could run into a lot of trouble if you went in with the idea of organizing it and running the operations. By TOM BUSSELBERG KAYSVILLE Itsgetting harder and harder for college graduates to find jobs while the wave of the future appears to be in vocationally-orientejobs. d The county can draw on a state study to obtain additional information with Com Gerlach indicating, We are trying to move in a definite direction to be in the forefront (of development) in the county. THAT WORD comes from Jack Shell, Davis Area Vocational Center director. And while someone in that position might be expected to lean in that direction, hes backed by studies and projections indicatwill find the ing the vocationally-trainemost jobs waiting. We as Utahns should really start considering looking at vocational education as a means of training for our young people, d unemployed and adults," he said, using data from the report, Utah 1981 Issues and Illusions" from the State Planning Coordinator to Gov. Scott Matlie sons office. d KAYSVILLE Mayor Gar Elison, whose city is involved in its own redevelopment agency, said, "I just think the county should consider it (its own agency)." But the group is merely investigating options, "currently, it was emphasized, with additional areas to be considered in future meetings. under-elnploye- view Hospital in the past few years," said Com. Eberhard. do not file "Most physicians claims and Lakeview Hospital has absorbed most of the indigent cost it has incurred. Com. Eberhard said Davis County will continue to review and pay eligible claims received through June 30. After that, all payments will be made directly through the state indigent care fund. TO COMPENSATE for the service, Davis County will mill which is slightly more than the coun- levy a ty was paying when it operated its own program. But the difference is not much, stressed Com. Eberhard. And the little difference is well worth it because of problems and threats of problems that exist with your own program. HE NOTED that there was alw ays the fear of liability suits being filed against the county, suit such as the that Davis County is presently involved in regarding a man who was shot. But perhaps the biggest problem facing Davis County officials prior to June 30 was the fear that a "major medical bill would be submitted that could all but wipe out their indigent account. five-coun- ITS VERY conceivable that a car loaded with indigent persons could have an accident in the county and county taxpayers would be stuck with the bill," the commissioner said. "We didnt have a maximum payment plan in force because the law states that the county will pay for the services rendered. The commissioner explained that a worldwide search including Lloyds of London was made to get in- surance against extremely medical large or long-terpayments for indigents. NO ONE would even talk to us about it, the commissioner explained. More Warrants In Corpsman Death FARMINGTON Two more youths are being sought in connection with the death of a Weber Basin Job Corpsman whose body was found floating in a Riverdale canal Sept. 17, 1979. SECOND-degre- e mur- der warrants have been issued from the Davis County Sheriffs Department naming the suspects as Ramiro Hernandez, 18. and Patricio Elizondo, 19. no addresses listed. The two suspects, according to the warrants, are being sought for allegedly taking part in the beating and subsequent drowning of Clifford Reinecke, 17, who at the time of his death lived in Wichita, Kans., according to police records. AT FIRST, the death was termed accidental, and the case was closed in November of 1979. However, information later obtained through a very long and extensive investigation by the Davis County Sheriff s De- partment revealed that the body may have been beaten prior to the drowning and that the death should be termed a homicide. THIS information led law enforcement officers to have the body of Reinecke exhum-erateand it was determined then that the youth suffered a severe beating which may have attributed to his death. The warrants for two suspects are in addition to the man, arrest of a Floyd Sherman Lee, of Philadelphia, who is being held in Davis County Jail as a suspect in the same death. It is being determined at this time if the latter suspect should be tried as an adult or as a juvenile since he was under 18 years of age at the time of the death. GRB d And some areas are begging for trained personnel to meet needs. We could place 100 machinists if we had them and a welder after training could get he says, noting teachers are leaving that profession in droves in the Uinta Basin oil region, for instance, because of higher pay prospects. FACED WITH these job prospects, vocational enrollments have grown at relatively modest rates from 15.2 percent nine years ago to about 22 percent in the 1979-8school year. The funding share has grown from 10.1 percent to 16.4 percent.1 Despite this positive trend, the state Issues and Illusions" report says, the State Vocational Advisory Council states there is still a major imbalance; the expenditure change is lagging behind the enrollment data and the current needs of students, as well as the needs of business and 0 industry." IT SAYS: One of the primary challenges of managing growth in the 980s lies in the provision of a trained workforce which will satisfy the demands of new and existing Utah industries. Statistics compiled by Utah Job Service indicate that by 1985, more than 565,000 of the states projected 842,510 jobs will require some kind of vocational-techniceducation. Thats nearly 70 percent, Mr. Shell says, noting vocational education programs arent growing fast enough to meet such demands. Funding hasn't kept up with higher education. Weve got to change our concept. The guy who works with his hands is just as important as a thinker." 1 TWO WX By GARY Vocational Study: Redevelopment Where The Action Is County-wid- e By TOM BUSSELBERG officials follow medicaid DI RING THE organization of the indigent board, Morgan and his colleagues at the hospital continually told county officials to pay 100 percent for medical center services performed for Davis indigents. On two occasions Morgan said he tried to meet with the indigent board to discuss the matter and with Com. Ernest Eberhard. And while the commissioner was absent both times. Morgan said he continued to express his dissatisfaction over the indigent program. 40-6- 0 Layton Chamber Supports Complex The Layton LAYTON Chamber of Commerce has urged the city council to support the proposal for a community sports complex, saying the project would be a wise investment for the citys residents and businesses. A TOTAL of $14,000 has been paid the medical center to date, she said, "but this is, by no means, the end of it. Asked how much the county pays, on a percentage basis for indigent claims, Kelsey said to Moigan, Mrs. Kelsey COMPTROLLER Floyd Morgan said he is glad Davis County officials have agreed to turn indigent care over to the state, but chastised the indigent board's unwillingness to communicate with the medical center on financial matters during the final months of the program's existence. When the hospital opened m November 1976, Mr. Morgan said all Utah counties were responsible for indigent care, based on the Utah Code. gating, Kelsey explained in an earlier interview. She said she expects members of the indigent board will meet one final time to determine which claims must be paid. . u Vi CURRENTLY, a college education costs about $3.000-plu- s per year and after four years that investment reaches $12,000, he explains. After that, the average graduate can expect to start at $15,000 a year. Compare that if you go to work and get into an evening vocational training program for four years, Mr. Shell continues. Usually, entrants start at about 55 percent of final salary as apprentices, or at possibly $11,000. But by the time theyre done in four years, they could be earning $14 an hour in the heating and air conditioning field, for instance. MOST JOBS after four years of training will bring $20,000 and could go up to $25,000. Its a lot easier to get a job in vocational areas. You can get a job with entry skills and go from there, Mr. Shell explains, adding, the better the student, the better the chance." EMPLOYMENT patterns and job opportunities demand a higher priority for vocational education. When posts- econdary expenditures are compared with employment patterns, a major mismatch between students completing programs and job opportunities is observable, the report continues. In 1979-8Job Service estimates 107,179 were employed in jobs requiring more than a high school diploma but less than a four-yedegree (vocational jobs); and 83,624 were employed in jobs requiring at least a r degree (professional jobs). BUT FUNDING patterns hardly reflected that with $13.6 million in 1979-8going for vocational and technical education. $44.5 million for professional-levjobs and $23 million for liberal arts. Perhaps the biggest need is for an attitude change by Americans, Mr. Shell says, noting these words from Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson's National Advisory Council on Vocational Education: At the very heart of our problem is a national attitude that vocational education is designed for somebody else's children. We have nurtured the idea that the only good education is a liberal education capped by four years of college. four-yea- 0 el THIS IDEA, transmitted by our values, our aspirations and our silent support is snobbish, undemocratic and a revelation of why schools fail so many student, it continued, noting fewer than one in five jobs in this decade are projected to require a four-yedegree. |