The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-07-23
Insurance Companies Adopt Cali
fornla Schedule and Some Ply
Sicians Have Accepted Scale
OTHER SURGEONS DECRY
ACTION AS UNETHICAL
While Medical Crater Is Foun-
tanning Liability Agencies
Hold To Their Pact

Inc WOrkman.s compensation Act
passed by the last legislature is bring.
ing up moro storm clouds than anything
which has happened in Hawaii in a
long while. The board appointed by
the Governor 60 see that the provisions
of the act are enforced admits il is
over head in hot water. Employees are
at sea and so are their attorneys.
Now the insurance agencies and doe.
tors are crossing swords. The six big
insurance companies of the city,
Bishop Insurance Agency, Raterhouse
Trust Company, Home Insurance Com
pany, Hawaiian Trust Company, Theo
ii. Davies Il Co., Won Hamnr. Y Dung
Company-have combined to handle the
business which the pew act creates.
Pilida Among Doctors .
They make no deniaIs that they, have
have foanned an organizations; that they
have. got together and arranged a
working basiss Of rates, flexible In one
direction or the other az cireumstan ees
compel; that they, have fixed the fees
which win be paid TO physicians and
surgeons for services performed and In
so doing have adopted the fee SEIZED.
ule at present III force In California.
The doctors enter into the case be-
cause of the fec stipulation made by
the insurance men, Not all of the doc.
tOrs-bccanse some of them have been
retained by the insurance aRencies.
That is where the rub comes. The doc.
tors who have not been retained claim
that those who have been are "cuttinp
rates. charging that the fee schedule
fixed by the Insurance companies is
fifty per cent, and even more, less In
many instances than the standard fee
which has always been charged in Ha.
wall. ~
Axe Is Double Edged 49,
gInasmuch as a number of eminently
reputable Physicians and surgeons have
signed up for providing service for the
insurance Companies the axe Is double.
edged Those! who have mot signed
with companies condemn, the act Of
those who have and threaten to make
an interesting Session of the next
meeting Of the medical association.
A number of DOCTORS were inter
viewed yesterday. Some stated that
doctors who had been retained for
years by local insurance agencie,
should not be blamed for remaining a.
retainers with their respective firms be
cause the new act had made it manda
tory on tho part of the insurance firm,
to establish fee schedule as has beer
done in other places where the com
pensation law has gone into effect.
Resent California Schedule
On the other hand, certain doctor,
who were interviewed contend that i,
is unethical for members Of the profes
sion to accept fees such as the insur
ance companies have. outlined. Be
sides claiming that the fees are fifty
per cent and more lower than the usua
Honolulu fees they resent having
foisted on them q schedule of fees az
prepared by California; ,physicians and
insurance agents instead of being al
lowed to fix their own fee schedule.
! Heads of several insurance agencie.
! when seen yesterday indicated that
they will "Stand patt' despite the con
troversy among the doctors. They de
clare they will not be dictated to by
the doctors. One of them remarked
"lf the doctors here don 7 like our
fee schedule, we will import doctor.
who will be satisfied with IL. We dc
not consider it ethical either in our
, business that doctor shall come Il
us and tell us what we shall pay for
mending broken leg or arm on a fec
basis and that IL he does not get his
price that we cannot go into the mar
! ket and get doctor who will do the
same job and as well for less. money.
Companies Arc Arbiters
! 1.-THE law provides for the medical
treatment we must give, but it is ur
1 to us to furnish tho doctors when we
insure an employer, against loss from
INJURY to an employee, 49, -.
1t was strange that dootors and in
surance men Yesterday when FIRST ap
preached denied any knowledge OF
pilikia among the ranks of the doctor,
and as directed against the insurance
companies, but that when informed thai
the situation was common street rumor
they invariably "thaweda ,out.n In
snranee men talked more freely than
the doctors,