Offering his insight into a Feb. 27 report on Ch. 8, WFAA-TV, Steve Love, president and chief executive officer of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council, was interviewed by Janet St. James, health and medical issues reporter. Her story covered the recent decision by Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children to begin billing certain patients. Founded in 1921 by North Texas Masons who wanted to care for children with polio, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital was one of the few hospitals in the nation to not charge for health care. The tradition lasted 91 years.

“It was hard for us to say ‘charge’ or ‘bill.’ We still hate to say that,” said Scottish Rite CEO Bob Walker. But he said billing is something the hospital must do now to stay afloat in the future.

Love said he’s surprised that Scottish Rite resisted the change for so long. “Scottish Rite opens its arms to everyone, and they’re going to continue to do that,” he said. “But if they can do some billing and they can do some collections to help supplement what they’re doing, it will help them continue and grow their mission.”

Walker said Scottish Rite will retain its policy of never turning a child away — regardless of the family’s ability to pay.

The report can be found on WFAA.com’s website at http://www.wfaa.com/home/Dallas–140641953.html.