Washington doctors fight proposal to limit physician-owned hospitals

Despite the need for more doctors in rural areas, a hospital that serves workers and their families in Eastern Washington farm country could fall victim to a crackdown on boutique hospitals that cater to the urban rich. Wenatchee Valley is one of a handful of doctor-owned hospitals nationally that face a substantial loss in money to treat their poorest patients amid a push to curb Medicare payments to such hospitals with specialized services only.