It's hard to win in the hospital business

After six months of profits or small losses and after paying off most of its bills, you could say the Fulton County Hospital has been on a roll. But the Dec. 23 meeting of the hospital's Board of Governors may have left some members feeling that they just can't win. The latest cost report shows the hospital owes Medicare $353,000, partly because it has recently done so well financially. Bill Couch, the Medicare expert for Hughes, Welch and Milligan CPAs, presented the latest cost reports, showing whether the hospital was owed money from Medicare and Medicaid, or whether it owed them after months of submitting bills and receiving reimbursements.