University of Utah Hospital v. Board of Commissioners

915 P.2d 1375, 128 Idaho 517, 1996 Ida. App. LEXIS 18
CourtIdaho Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 2, 1996
DocketNo. 21534
StatusPublished

This text of 915 P.2d 1375 (University of Utah Hospital v. Board of Commissioners) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
University of Utah Hospital v. Board of Commissioners, 915 P.2d 1375, 128 Idaho 517, 1996 Ida. App. LEXIS 18 (Idaho Ct. App. 1996).

Opinion

PERRY, Judge.

This is an appeal from an order of the district court reversing and remanding a medical indigency claim to the board of commissioners of Payette County. The district court held that the county was primarily obligated for payment of the medical indi-gency claim, but denied University of Utah Hospital’s requests for a money judgment, interest, attorney fees and a declaratory judgment. We affirm.

I.

FACTS AND PROCEDURE

Steve Cross was seriously burned in a house fire and immediately transported to University of Utah Hospital for medical treatment. While there, Cross incurred in excess of $180,000 in medical expenses. Cross qualified as medically indigent for payment of services rendered by the hospital. See I.C. § 31-3502. Payette County conceded some responsibility for Cross’s medical bills, but asserted that the county was only liable for the first $10,000 of the claim. The county paid that amount and a portion thereof went to the University of Utah Hospital. The county argued that, pursuant to state law, the remainder of the claim was apportioned to the Catastrophic Health Care Cost Program (CHCCP). CHCCP was originally financed through funds provided by the counties themselves. Responsibility for the program’s funding was eventually transferred to the state. However, for a time, the governor refused to approve legislative funding for the program. When the hospital sought reimbursement for the care of Cross, CHCCP was unfunded and, hence, the hospital could not collect from CHCCP. CHCCP, however, had notified the counties that it was unfunded and that the counties should only pay the $10,000 deductible required by law.

The hospital then sought payment directly from the county for the entire amount, and the board of commissioners denied the claim. The hospital filed an appeal from the decision of the board of commissioners with the district court. As stated in the notice of appeal to the district court, the hospital ostensibly “appealed] from the verbal action” of the CHCCP as well.

The district court issued a memorandum decision and order on July 20, 1994. The district court held that the county was ultimately responsible to pay for the care of the medically indigent. Therefore, the district court reversed the decision of the board of commissioners and remanded the matter for appropriate action consistent with its opinion. The district court refused to review the hospital’s claim against CHCCP because it was not raised in the proceeding before the board of commissioners from which the appeal was taken. The district court held that the county, as a governmental unit, could not be charged prejudgment interest due to sovereign immunity. The district court denied attorney fees to both sides. The hospital then sought the entry of an order for a money judgment and requested post-judgment interest. The district court held that Idaho Code Section 67-5279 prohibited the issuance of a money judgment and required the case be remanded so the county commissioners could enter a decision consistent with the district court’s appellate ruling. The district court also concluded that the hospital was not entitled to postjudgment interest or attorney fees, but awarded costs to the hospital.

Payette County appealed and the hospital cross-appealed. The Idaho Supreme Court dismissed the county’s direct appeal. Now [519]*519pending is the cross-appeal by the hospital. The hospital seeks a money judgment, interest, attorney fees and a declaratory judgment.

In 1995, the legislative funding for CHCCP was approved by the governor and the hospital received $173,954 from the program on March 7,1995, for Cross’s expenses.

II.

ANALYSIS

The medical indigency statutes, Idaho Code Section 31-3501, et seq., provide a system whereby health care providers may apply to a county for financial assistance after supplying medical care to the poor. The hospital in this case sought such reimbursement from the county. The application was denied by the board of county commissioners. When such an application is denied, the applicant is entitled to judicial review of the decision “in substantially the manner provided in the administrative procedures act.” I.C. § 31-3505.

The Idaho Administrative Procedures Act (LAPA) provides that a party who has been aggrieved by a final agency action may file a petition for review or declaratory judgment in the district court of the appropriate county after exhausting all administrative remedies. I.C. §§ 67-5271, -5272. The reviewing court may not substitute its opinion for that of the administrative hearing officer on questions of fact. I.C. §§ 67-5277, -5279(1). Erroneous conclusions of law made by an agency may be corrected on appeal. Love v. Board of County Comm’rs of Bingham County, 105 Idaho 558, 671 P.2d 471 (1983). On further appeal from the district court’s appellate determination under the LAPA, this Court reviews the record independently of the district court’s decision. Salinas v. Canyon County, 117 Idaho 218, 786 P.2d 611 (Ct.App.1990).

A MONEY JUDGMENT AND INTEREST

In its appeal to the district court, the hospital sought the entry of a money judgment. The district court found that it lacked the statutory authority to issue a money judgment pursuant to the scope of review provisions of the IAPA See I.C. § 67-5279. The hospital asserts that the district court erred in refusing to enter the judgment.

Prior to 1992, the LAPA followed the language of the Model State Administrative Procedure Act and provided that in reviewing an agency decision the district court could affirm, reverse, remand or modify that decision.1 Such statutory language in other states has been interpreted to allow the reviewing court to issue orders and judgments. Anderson v. City of Lawton, 748 P.2d 53 (Okl.App.1987) (reviewing court could have rendered decision which should have been rendered by the agency); Nakamine v. Board of Trustees of Employees’ Retirement System, 65 Haw. 251, 649 P.2d 1162 (1982) (trial court may fashion a remedy).

However, the Idaho Legislature amended the LAPA in 1992 and removed the language allowing modification. The new statute provides in part: “If the agency action is not affirmed, it shall be set aside, in whole or in part, and remanded for further proceedings as necessary.” The district court reasoned that ordering the entry of a money judgment was not affirming, or setting aside and remanding, the county commissioners’ decision [520]*520and, hence, was not an available remedy on appeal.

Washington has similarly deviated from the provisions of the Model State Administrative Procedure Act. The pertinent Washington statute provides that the “court may affirm the decision of the agency or remand the case for further proceedings; or it may reverse the decision.” Wash.Rev.Code § 34.04.130.2 When a trial court modified portions of an agency decision, the Washington Court of Appeals found that the trial court lacked the power to do so and was limited to the remedies explicitly provided in the statute.

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Bluebook (online)
915 P.2d 1375, 128 Idaho 517, 1996 Ida. App. LEXIS 18, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/university-of-utah-hospital-v-board-of-commissioners-idahoctapp-1996.