St. Benedict's Hospital v. County of Twin Falls

BURNETT, Judge.

St. Benedict’s Hospital has sued Twin Falls County to recover the cost of caring for an indigent person. The record before us contains no written application by the hospital for indigent aid from the county nor any written denial of such aid. Nevertheless, the hospital insists that it did ap ply, and the county insists that the application was denied.

These anomalous contentions frame the substantive issues on appeal — whether a written application was in fact submitted and, if so, what result should follow from the county’s failure to deny the application in writing. This case…