New Britain herald., 1915-11-30
SCOPE AND AIMS OF
 HEALTH INSURANCE
American Association for Labor Legislation Issues Statement

New York, Nov. 3O.-In making
 public the text of the bill for health
 insurance which is to be promoted in
 the different legislatures this coming
 year the American Association For Labor Legislation has issued a state of the proposed law
 The main object of the measure, according to the committee responsi-
 ble for it's introduction, is the encour-
 agement of industrial sanitation and consequent prevention of sickness and the prevention of Restitution aris- ing from the loss of wages during the sickness of the wage earners. In the announcement signed by John B. An drews, secretary of the Association For Labor Legislation it is claimed that the present time is opportune for promoting in America schemes for in surance of the health of the workers similar to those which are a proved success in European countries.
 Plans Most Timely.
 '"The recognized success of work mems compensation or accident insur- ance laws in stimulating safety first movements, the beginning of compen- sation for strictly occupationa1 dis eases, the general awakening of pub- lie interest in the problems of factory and housing sanitation and the' ap- pOintment in California of a state commission to study social insurance all make plans for health insurance most timely.
 Every wage earner should be in sured so as to receive sick and funer- al benefits for himself and medical care both for himself and his family, with special provision for his wife at times of childbirth, and these prirci- ples have been embodied in the bill. Not only does we'll balanced system of health insurance succeed in miti- l gating want arising from sickness of the wage earner, which is the most | fruitful cause of Restitution, but the | insurance rating of the health of the ! worker stimulates movements for the l prevention of sickness itself in the l same way that the establishment of 1 workmen's compensation stimulated a Safety first movement for the l prevention of industrial accidents.
 Time Opportune.
 The committee further points to ex- | pressions of opinion from representa- 1 tive men that sickness insurance is | necessary and that the time for intro- ducing it is opportune.
 pr. Lee K. Frankel director of the welfare work and sixth vice presi- dent of the Metropolitan Life Insur- Iance company, stated at Philadelphia lon Nov, 10, 1915, "The need for sick hess insurance can no longer be de- Inied, and it would be quite simple to fu Ia scheme for general sickness insur- |ance.''
 pr. Bevan's Opinion.
 Dr. Arthur Dean Bevan, chairamn (of the council on medical education, American Medical association, said in May 1914, "We are every day coming nearer the time when in this country I've shall see laws enacted to provide |by some state insurance scheme med Deal care for the poor. If the medi- |ca1 profession in this country is far Sighted it will recognize these com Ing events"
 Ferdinand c. Schwedtman, chair |fnan industrial betterment committee kpf the National Association of Man |ufacturers, is quoted as saying:
 1T give it as my opinion that sick mess insurance of some kind, with contributions on the part l pf the employers, will be enacted into aw by many states of the Union with n the next five years and that now ] S the time to go into this subject l Thoroughly" Opinion of Labor The opinion of labor, as represent l Ed in the Union Labor Bulletin of !! september A. 1914 is that 'the Am--