Evening star., 1915-01-10
Sickness
Insurance.


lief Of DR.. B. s. Warren. surgeon Of the
United States public health service, and
sanitary adviser of the United States
commission on industrial relations. DR..
Warren believes that the question Of dis
ability among wage earners Is social
and not an individual problem. and that
the physical health Of the great mass
of workers depends upon treating it on
a social basis.
The health Of the citizens of the coun-
try. he believes, cannot be left to tndt-
vidual endeavor. and he supports the
object Of sickness insurance. which Is
to distribute the loss due to sickness
and death over the community, accord
ing to responsibility This, he says, will
automatically make those responsible
search for and enforce measures to pre-
vent sickness and death caused by pre-
ventable diseases.
DIR. Warren has prepared tentative
plan on sickness insurance for the com
mission on Industrial relations and in
so per cent Of the funds: employers. 10
per cent: the community. nothing to 5
per cent, graded according to the work
O. the community to prevent sickness.
and the state, from to 10 per cent.
this suggestion after thorough study Of
both the German and English acts pro-
viding for sickness insurance.
The plan submitted to the comm sslon
en- Industrial relations by Or. Warren
varies but little from the English and
German rates. except that the COM
munity Is made to contribute. DR.. War
rem estimates that If the small contribu-
munity and the state will average so
cents per week or s26 per year per in
sured person that a sickness Insurance
system of great strength can be estab-
lished in this country. This sum will
provide each person insured 81 per day
beginning with the fourth day of disa:
bility due to sickness or non-industrial
accident, and will provide for medical
and surgical relief and medicines and
pensary. as the case may require, to All
disability, whether due to sickness.
child bearing or non-industrial accident
Sickness insurance. based on TINS
son. contributed in small amounts by
the state, the community, the employer
and employe, will also make 1t possible
to give 5000 death benefits. DR.. war
in especially hazardous industries
would naturally cost more than $26 per
year. and also that there are many IN
dustries In which it would not be nee
| essary to pay so much The cost OF the
| insurance to employees would be $13 per
year. or SO per cent, and studies mace
| Of budgets of expenses of the work
| ingmans family today show that most
Of them are spending more than ~ Sls 3
per year because of sickness. The
| amount Of money to be contributed by
employers, Dr. Warren estimates,
| would be small under the sickness in
surance plan, compared to the amount
which employers are paying today in
charities. subscriptions or voluntary
relief extended to individual employees
whom they find in distress.
| To be made success any sickness IN
| surance scheme which is considered in
this country. according to DR.. Warren,
must be made compulsory especially for
persons with small incomes. Employees
contributions to the fund are to be
deducted in small amounts each week
| and paid into a local fund at the end
| ness insurance, according to the gov
ernment's medical officer. will lessen
the waste from disability and death
due to preventable disease and will in
crease the interest OF the people IN