The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-02-22

Called lmpraoticablo by Many, but the
Idea Is New-Compuisory Insurance
Would Be Collected From Every
Citizen, and Patients Would Be Al
Ioted to Various Doctors.
Compulsory sickness insurance ad.
ministered by the federal government
was advocated in Chicago before the
Federation of State Medical Boards of
the United States by DR.. Otto V. Huff
man, secretary of the New York state
board of medical examiners.
DR.. Huffman proposed 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 a tax of 81
a year on all wage earners whose in
come is less than $1,000 He estimates
there are 33,0O0O00 such persons In
the United States. Each would have
the privilege of selecting his own doc
tor, but no physician would be allowed
to carry more than 1000 names.
"This would mean $4,000 year for
treating those that become sick or dis
abled. Statistics show not more than
sixty of these would ever be sick at
the same time" said DR.. Huffman.
Physicians Poorly Paid.
"1n general, the public does not real
ize how miserably underpaid the med
ical profession is. There are 127,0O0
active practitioners in the country.
Their incomes aggregate $G3 100000,
an average of only $500 year.
Nor Is it true, as has been often
stated, that there are too many doc
tors About 212 per cent of the pop
ulation is constantly sick and dis
abled, an average of 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.
at is impossible for a doctor prop
erly to look after more than sixteen
patients in eight working hours. At
prevailing fees this just about pays ex.
penses
Would Prevent Sickness.
"Under compulsory insurance we
would be paid to keep our clientele in
sound health, and it would be against
our interest to have sickness occur.
when the medical profession is paid
to prevent sickness and is loser when
any one becomes ill, the day of the
quack and the charlatan will be past"
The United States in a few years
will have an army of 100000 men
ready to take the field. TO meet the
requirements of this vast body of men
at least 10000 surgeons will be requir-
ed. So asserted DR.. w. C. Gorgas, sur
geon general of the United States
army.
DR.. Gorgas was urging the adoption
Of n proposal for a national confer
ence of medical examiners, composed
of representatives of state medical ex-
amining boards throughout the coun,
try. Candidates who passed this eX-
animation would be eligible for the
United States medical reserve corps
and would not have to pass any other
examination for licenses to practice.
DY, Haven Emerson, New Yorl; COM
missioner of health, said DR.. HufImap'a
plan was impossible propaganda"
"I'll admit doctors are underpaid. 1t
10 apparent in the city departments,
where engineers and legal experts get
about twice as much as doctors. sup
pose the doctors can let their good
works be their own reward. The pub
lie seems to expect that of them.
think the doctors of the state and coun-
try see much more promise in the new
health insurance laws than in any such
fanciful scheme as DIR. Huffman sug-
gests."