Local News in Brief : Hospital’s Medi-Cal Policy Challenged

A consumer health advocacy group has filed an administrative complaint against a San Fernando Valley medical center challenging what has become an increasingly widespread policy at Southern California hospitals--refusal to treat Medi-Cal patients.

Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills began refusing to hospitalize Medi-Cal patients for all but emergency treatment last month after hospital officials complained that Medi-Cal reimbursement rates were too low to offset their costs.

In a complaint filed Wednesday with the civil rights office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, attorneys for San Fernando Valley Neighborhood Services pointed out that the hospital received $3.5 million in federal construction grants during the last 30 years, in return for a pledge to serve low-income people in its community.

The legal action seeks no money but an order requiring the hospital to provide service for Medi-Cal patients.

Holy Cross spokeswoman Shelly Rondeau said the hospital discontinued providing care for Medi-Cal patients to save enough money “so that we can continue to provide our many community services, including trauma care, our obstetrical clinic, caring for Medicare patients and our numerous charity projects.”