Washington hospitals seek higher Medicaid payments

Large hospitals around Washington state are heading to federal court seeking millions in federal payments for some indigent patients who aren't eligible for Medicaid or Social Security. When such a person goes to a hospital in Washington, the state covers some of the cost, but the hospital would get more money from the federal government if he qualified for Social Security and Medicaid. The University of Washington Medical Center and 17 other large hospitals in Washington state are seeking higher reimbursement for such cases from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, arguing that the federal government should pay for such patients because it did so in some other states before 2000.