The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1915-10-22
w. M. VAIL, Owner
legal and moral?

splitting law for several years. AS
the old law proved unavailable, a new
one has recently been placed on the
statute books.
Among other states having laws
against fee-splitting are Ohio and
! Iowa. do not know that the legali-
ty of any of these laws has been pass
ed upon by a supreme court. That
is probably due to the fact that no
great effort has been made to enforce
them. At the present time we can
say that that in some states fee
splitting by medical men is illegal.
In no state is it specifically legal.
The American College of Surgeons,
the American Medical association and
the various state and local medical
societies have condemned fee-split-
ting by formal vote. It is evident
that fee-splitting among medical men
is not the custom, and that such of it
as is done is condemned by medical
organizations. It is practiced by
| organizations: It is practiced by
only small proportion of the oper-
ators, and they do not of high stand
ing. The proportion of family phys
icians who peddle their patients is
even smaller still. -,.:~ ...
Should fee-splitting among doctors
be illegal and condemned, while
among lawyers and business men it
is approved by law, custom and pub
lie opinion? If so, why so? An
other question:: Why is it discussed
in this column? .
Fee-splitting :, among physicians
should not be allowed to become the
custom. Why? Because of the
abuses to which it leads.
How is it worked? The answer
to this question shows some of the
possibilities for abuse. A man con-
suits physician. The physician ex-
amines him and tells him he needs an
operation. The sick man asks who
is to do the operation. If the fee
splitter has an understanding with
some one as to his commission, he
suggests the man. The probability
is that he will say to the patient, II
expect to be running into the city
about that time. I will take you
in" When they reach the city, they
see the operator together. The pa
tient may be told that the home doc
tor is to assist at the operation.
In the worst cases of this group,
the home doctor arranges the amount
of the fee, collects it, and pays the
operator, relieving the patient of all
those details. In some, the operator
collects, saying nothing to the pa
tient about any payment to the phys
| ician who came with him. The pa
tient can be certain that the family
| physician does not assist at the OPP
GRAFTON. An operating room organi-
cation arranges that each assistant
shall have his work cut out for him.
Team work is a necessity. Each as
sistant must know how to anticipate
the next move Of the operator If
an outside physician is allowed on
the operating floor he may be permit
ted to put on a gown and stand close
by, but he must not touch any in
strument. The statement that the
physician is paid for assisting cannot
be substantiated.
If the physician has not established
connections with fee-splitters and
wishes to get portion of the fee, he
may tell his patient that he will find
out who is the best man to operate
on him. Meanwhile, he may write
for bids. The physician at home, gem
orally has a suspicion as to which
operators can safely be approached
on the proposition Of splitting fee.
On the other side, operators in
search Of business sometimes send
out letters in which proposals for
fee-splitting are made. Within GER
tain limitations, the fee-splitting OPP
orators know to whom, among the
incorporating physicians. It is safe
to send such proposal.
When patient asks his physician