Mercy Medical Center of Oshkosh, Inc. v. Winnebago County

The issue raised is whether a county must reimburse a hospital for emergency care given to a patient who does not want public assistance (although she is unable to pay for the hospital services) and refuses to cooperate with county officials in charge of public assistance so as to allow the county to charge back any public assistance given to the place of the patient’s legal settlement.

The facts are not in dispute. In the early morning hours of January 3, 1970, Linda K. Wilkinson was admitted to the hospital suffering from a self-induced incomplete abortion and requiring immediate and…