The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1916-03-23
TAX TO INSURE
ALL AGAINST ILLS
Would Have Government Col
IeGt Salaries of Physicians.
SCHEME MOST UNIQUE one.

Called lnnprsctiesoIs By Many, but the
Idea is Ne~-compuIsory Insurance
Would Be Collected From Every
Citizen. and Patients Would Be Al
lotsd to Various Doctors
Compulsory sickness insurance adj
ministered by the federal government
was advocated in Chicago before the
Federation Of State Medical Boards OF
the United States By DR.. Otto Y. HUFF
man, secretary Of the New York state
board Of medical examiners.
DR.. Huffman proposed a plan under
which he said all reputable physicians
would have an assured income and the
chief incentives TO quackery would be
eliminated.
The plan contemplated tax Of 81
a year on all wage earners whose in
come is less than 100. He estimates
there are 33OCO.CJO such persons in
the United States. Each would have
the privilege Of selecting his own doc
tor. but 10 physician would be allowed
to carry more than 2.OOO names
This would mean $1,000 year for
treating those rbac become sick or dis
abled. Statistics show not more than
sixty Of these would ever be sick ar
the same time" said DR.. Huffman
Physicians Poorly Paid.
In general. the public does not real
ize how miserably underpaid the med
icaI profession is There are 1900
active practitioners in the country
Their incomes aggregate $d3.JvO.OOO.
an average Of only 500 a year.
Nor is ii True. as has been often
stated, that there are too many doc
tors About 2ls Der cent Of the pop
ulation is constantly sick and dis
abled. an average II nineteen patients
a day for each Doctor This does not
take into account much Of the practice
Of specialists.
Furthermore. insurance company
statistics show 60 per cent Of the in
sured have some impairment Of health
1T is impossible for doctor prop
arly to look after more than sixteen
patients in eight working hours At
prevailing fees this just about pays eG-
penses
Woul5 Prevent Sickness.
Under compulsory insurance we
would be paid to keep our clientele in
sound health. and it would be against |
our interest 10 have sickness occur
When the medical profession is paid |
to prevent sickness and is loser when I
my one becomes i'll. the day OF the I
luack and the charlatan will he MS
The United States in Il few years I
will have an army OF 1.O00O00 men !
-eady 70 take the field To meet the
OF this vast body Of men
It least 10000 surgeons will be requir
ii. So asserted Dr.. W. c. GOrgas, sur
,eon general Of the United States
lrmy.
DR.. GOrgas was urging the adoption
II a proposal for a national confer
nee OF medica! examiners. composed
4 representatives OF state medical ex
mining boards throughout the coun
~. Candidates who passed this ex
animation would be eligible for the
United States medical reserve corps
nd would not have to pass any othei
for licenses TO practice
DR.. Haven Emerson. New York com
Missioner of health. said DR.. Hufman's
Ian was impossible propaganda.
III admit doctors are undergrad 1
J apparent in the city departments
there engineers and legal experts sc
bout twice as much as doctors. sup
oSe the doctors can let their good
-OrkS be their own reward The pub
c seems 10 expect that Of them
link the doctors Of the state aud cOun
Y see much more promise in the new
aIlth insurance laws than in any Sucl
lnciful scheme a DR. Huffman Sug
aStS."