GOLD BEACH – Curry General Hospital will offer a 30 percent discount to several hundred people currently making minimum payments to their hospital bills if they can pay off those bills by the end of January.

The Curry Health District Board of Directors voted at Wednesday’s meeting to offer the discounts as a way of increasing cash on hand.

“We talked about looking at accounts people are making minimum payments on, almost $700,000 tied up with people making $50 to $200 payments a month,” Chief Financial Officer Mark Sayler told the board.

“We want to do a one-time letter to those people, 442 people, and offer them a 30 percent discount if they pay within 30 days. We have drafted a letter to offer the 30 percent discount, what they have to pay and when they have to pay it. We will get cash in the door,” Sayler said.

Board member Mary Stansell said the hospital should give those people the whole month of January to make the payments.

The board approved making the offer, but decided to tell those patients it is the best deal they are going to get.

Sayer said the hospital is currently carrying people interest free for a long period.

The finance officer earlier told the board that the district operated on a $267,000 loss in November with the economy continuing to be poor and people putting off medical attention.

He said the hospital had 153 patient days last month, a 27 percent decline. But Sayer said the cash on hand went up during the month.

“We received $450,000 in tax revenues from the county,” Sayer said.

He said the bulk of the district’s property taxes come in November, with less in December and even less the rest of the year.

The board approved “with tweaking” recommendations by QR Consulting Services of changes in prices charged by the hospital for different procedures.

Board members were given about 60 samples of the 8,000 different procedures performed by the hospital, showing current prices by Curry, compared to the rates recommended by the consultants and a 6 percent across the board price increase. It also showed the volume of those procedures now performed by the hospital and comparative prices charged by four other hospitals – Ashland Community, Bay Area, Rogue Valley and Sutter Coast.

The consultants recommended that some prices be increased, while recommending that others be cut.