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MICHAEL SANDLERHospital officials wonder if they would get the extra $3-million for emergency care or if it would go elsewhere.
CLEARWATER - Responding to pressure from area hospitals, Pinellas County intends to spend more money next year helping poor people pay for medical services.
County Administrator Steve Spratt this week unveiled his proposed budget for next year and the spending plan includes another $3-million to help the county's uninsured residents.
The announcement brought both cheers and questions Wednesday from area hospital officials, who have been pressuring county commissioners for months to spend more on health services for the poor. They say the county's current budget of about $16-million covers only a fraction of the estimated 123,000 county residents without insurance.
If approved, the total would increase to about $19-million.
(By contrast, Hillsborough County spends about $86.5 million a year on indigent care, which comes from a half-cent sales tax set aside for health care.)
One question is how would the new money be used. With the exception of $640,000 earmarked to pay Bayflite for transporting trauma victims who cannot afford the emergency flights, the Pinellas budget for next year outlines only a general plan for the rest.
Gay Lancaster, chief assistant county administrator, said the county would likely use the money for primary care. That would include opening new clinics in some areas - where they would partner with area nonprofit organizations - and expanding existing clinics elsewhere. "The fact of the matter is we get people when they are very, very, very sick, and I'm not exaggerating the "verys,' " Lancaster said.
Frank Murphy, chief executive for BayCare Health System, would like more details. His organization manages nine hospitals in the area and he said the rising cost in indigent care since 1998 translates into $28-million in new expenses countywide. While he was glad to hear the county is stepping up its effort, he was disappointed to learn it may use the extra money for preventive care.
"That would not help our hospitals," Murphy said. "We've had an increasing cost for indigent care. It doesn't sound on the surface like they are addressing that issue. It's hard for me to respond to what they are thinking."
Commissioners must approve the budget in September. Many have said increasing spending on indigent care is a priority and have scheduled a Aug. 5 work session to discuss the subject.
- Michael Sandler can be reached at 445-4162 or sandler@sptimes.com