Presidential Tumble Runs Up $7,000 Bill

Doctor bills for the torn tendon in President Clinton’s right knee have totaled about $7,000, and he must pay 20% of the amount, or about $1,400, White House spokesman Mike McCurry said. Most of the bills were for treatment Clinton received in a Florida hospital in the hours after he stumbled at the estate of golf pro Greg Norman last March. He got a discounted rate on his emergency knee surgery at Bethesda Naval Hospital because of his position as commander-in-chief. “He pays what is called the regular DOD (Department of Defense) flat rate . . . It’s a good deal,” McCurry said. And he was not billed for physical therapy because it is part of the service rendered by the White House medical unit, McCurry added.