Clinton's hospital story questioned

WASHINGTON, April 6 (UPI) -- Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton reportedly has dropped a story from her stump speech after being challenged on its accuracy, sources said.

ABC News reported Sunday that for about a month Clinton, the junior senator from New York, had told a story about a pregnant woman denied treatment at an Ohio hospital because she did not have $100 the hospital demanded to treat her.

Clinton had told her audiences the woman, Trina Bechtel, returned to the hospital days later with severe complications. She says the woman and her baby died after being taken to another hospital for specialized care.

The story was cited by Clinton as evidence of the need for universal healthcare.

The hospital -- O'Bleness Memorial Hospital in Athens, Ohio, which is not named in the story -- has demanded Clinton stop telling the story, claiming it is inaccurate.

The hospital said Bechtel was being treated at an affiliated practice prior to her complications, and she did have insurance, Fox News reported.

The flap comes as Clinton continues to be dogged in the media over revelations she exaggerated details of a 1996 trip she took to Bosnia, where she said her plane landed amid rebel gunfire.