Hospital revenue trailing budget
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Daily Southtown
By Jonathan Lipman, Staff writer
May 3, 2006
Cook County's hospitals have collected about $23 million less
than expected so far this year despite long-promised overhauls
of the hospital billing systems.
The county health bureau has collected about $81 million of
the $104 million projected by budget planners, according to
a summary of the county's first fiscal quarter, which ended
March 31.
"We're going to continue to monitor that," Comptroller
Walter Knorr said. "Certainly, we're concerned anytime
you have a shortfall ... but it's just a matter of keeping after
the hospital and making sure they collect."
With other county fees also coming in below projections and
sales and cigarette taxes doing better than expected, the county
is about $16 million, or about 3 percent, behind on overall
revenues for the first quarter.
Knorr said it was too early to worry about an impact on the
county's overall $3 billion budget, but commissioners were less
confident.
"I'd like to know what the plan is to get the numbers up,"
said Commissioner Bobbie Steele (D-Chicago). "By the end
of the year, we'll have lost $100 million. We have to figure
out why."
Commissioner Mike Quigley (D-Chicago) said he's beginning to
worry the county will go broke before the end of the year.
"Their patient volume is up and their revenues are down,
and that makes no sense," Quigley said. "They better
detail a plan."
Stroger, Provident and Oak Forest hospitals care for some of
the sickest and poorest of the region's patients and turn no
one away regardless of ability to pay. Still, many of the patients
are covered by Medicaid and other programs and can pay something
for their care.
County health officials were not available for comment Tuesday
afternoon.
Health bureau chief Daniel Winship has repeatedly promised an
overhaul in the billing system, including retraining employees
and the use of new software to create "superbills"
that better track all of a patient's services.
"They tried to implement this superbill and they give you
this hyped report, and then it kind of dies out," Steele
said. "I haven't seen too much of a difference."
Against the advice of budget staff, commissioners voted to increase
projections for cigarette taxes and some fees when passing the
2006 budget. Cigarette taxes are so far $7.6 million ahead of
projections, but Knorr warned much of the boost came from a
one-time floor audit that will not carry through the rest of
the year.
The county also is spending below budget, Knorr said, so cash
flow will not be an issue.
Quigley said he was less sure.
"Don't let the percentages fool you, $16 million would
be a significant tax hike," Quigley said. "It was
extraordinarily irresponsible to budget like this."
