The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-12
F|VE-DOL[AR FEE
WILL Be EXACTED
Resolution TO That Effect Is
Adopted by Utah State
Medical Society.
PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS
FOR LIFE INSURANCE
Big Insurance Companies Will
Fight the Physicians at
Every Turn.

During the recent session Of the Utah
State Medical society. resolution was
passed declaring that it was the sense
of the association that hereafter a fee
Of s. he charged by the members for
making physical examination for life
insurance. The resolution was formu-
lated by the insurance committee of the
American Medical association for the
purpose of obtaining a referendum vote
of the subsidiary and component orga-
nizations and was adopted by an unani-
NOUS vote, 1t had already been adopted
by eighteen state medical associations.
and by more than half of the county
medical societies in the United States.
Some of the local physicians, who
voted for the adoption of the rcsolu-
tion, said that they felt that the insur-
ance companies-the old line com
panies conducted solely as money max
ing propositions-had been doing them
an injustice IN the past They asserted
that if the companies had exercised
little more economy In higher circles
and had not attempted 10 split hairs In
the less important phases of their bust
ness, the present action of the members
y
But some of the hfe insurance com
panies had recently deemed it advis-
able TO notify their medical examiners
that they must reduce the examining
fee from 50 to $3, and this precipitated
the action of the association.
Application OF the Rule
The application of the intent of the
resolution will of course, vary with the
conditions that obtain IN various parts
of the country. In some Of the larger
Eastern cities for instance. the insur-
ancc companies may find 1T 10 their ad
vantage TO hire examiners at fixed sal F!
aries, but this would not be profitable |
in the more sparsely settled West. As
for Utah, 1t is said that the doctors
stand as unit for the So fee, and ac
cordiug 10 the resolution a physician |
who accepts a reduction is considered |
guilty Of breach of professional cour-
tcsy. 1T is said that fully so per cent |
of the practicing physicians in Idaho |
have recently declared themselves as |
being III favor of the 81 fee, the dec |
laration having been made by referen-
dun vote.
The life insurance companies, it is |
said, are determined to oppose the |
granting of the fee but the future alone !
can decide their course of action. Dr., |.
Gillicuddy, representing the Mutual, |
passed through the city few days ago, /
and in discussing the situation said that
the New York companies were fighting |
the proposition on every hand, As has 4
already been implied, the action of the |
State association does not apply to |
lodges and societies. but is confined TO
the old line companies or concerns that !
arc engaged IN the life insurance busi |
ness simply as a money making PROPOSE
ton. AS regards fees for lodge cx- |
aminations, the physicians are permitted
TO make their own rates as heretofore. |
Resolutions in Full.
Following is a copy Of the resolutions
in full:
Whereas, Many of the life insurance
companies have notified their medical
fee from Sc to So; and
Whereas. We, as physicians. realizing
the responsibility incident to proper eX-
reduction to be unjust therefore be It
Resolved That the Utah State Medical !
society, and the medical profession in
bled. do hereby declare such reduction
10 be unjust; and respectfully request
that no physician legally authorized to
practice medicine in Utah accept such
reduction OF fee, and further, that any |
physician accepting such reduction be |
guilty OF breach OF professional cour-
Resolved. That 1t is the sense of this
society that hereafter in each examina-
IoH TOT ne Insurance III winch urine |
analysis is required the minimum fee
Resolved, That the several component
societies forming the State association
he requested 10 adopt these resolutions
Second--That the above rates Shall not
apply TO industrial medical Inspections,
without urinary analysis for amounts
less than $1,000.
Thrd-That no member Of this society
enter into any contract or agreement with
pany or Individual to examine appl-
canis for insurance for any stated salary
or lump sum, thereby evading the spl~it
and instinct of the foregoing rcsolu-
lions.
Fourth-That the payment OF all fees
shall be authorized try the homo office
of The society or corporation to which |
such application is made, and under nc
circumstances shall an examiner receive
or accept any part Of this fee from an
agent o: any other person corporation
unless the full fec be paid by authority
or the home office.
rlfih---That oac!! member of this So
cicty pledge himself CT herself In case
n fellow member be removed from the
position of examiner for any corporation
C.: society solely because OF this acrjor
Of the nedicn! profession. that he or She
viii not accept an appointment frol.l such
corporation or society as. examiner. nor
make any examination for same in Utah
StNth-That each member OF this So
cety bind himself or herselt. by "A pledge
TO be presented by him or her to the
secretary, 10 abide by these resolutions.
Ssventh-Tha; the secretary be in
structed TO forward copy OF these reso-
lu..ops to each county medical society in
Utah for adoption
Eighth--Thai these resolutions be print
ed in our State Medical Journal and n
copy forwarded 10 the Journal of tho
American Medical Association.