Gatica v. Department of Public Aid

Mr. PRESIDING JUSTICE HARTMAN

delivered the opinion of the court:

Vincente Gatica was admitted as a patient to the Illinois Masonic Medical Center (hereinafter IMMC) on February 10, 1979. He thereafter applied for medical aid from the Illinois Department of Public Aid (hereinafter IDPA) under article V of the Illinois Public Aid Code (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1979, ch. 23, par. 5 — 1 et seq.) (hereinafter Public Aid Code). At the time, he was not a public aid recipient; he had no health or hospitalization insurance; and he had no funds with which to pay the hospital bills. After his death, IDPA denied…