The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-01-13
Prof. Irving Fisher
 Declares Time Is Ripe for Health Insurance

Rochester, N. Y, Jan. 13.-Health | insurance to relieve the distress and l Restitution caused by sickness among 1 wage-earners was urged by Professor | Irving Fisher of Yale, the noted au-
 thority on national health in an ad-
 dress before the Social Workers Club | Friday night
 [ Approving the standard bill for uni
 the American Association for Labor
 Legislation with the cooperation of
 the American Medical Association, and l representatives of labor and industries,
 and recommending it's enactment by 1 the New York Legislature, Professor 1 Fisher said:
 Millions of American wOrkmen cannot at present avail themselves of ] necessary surgical and nursing aid. When they most need it they cannot
 pay for it. The Rochester Survey | in the Metropolitan Lift Insurance
 Company showed that 3e per cent. of | the cases of illness did not have a physician in attendance"
 How serious a social problem this fact presents was emphasized by Pro-
 lessor Fisher when he stated that out
 
 preventability of sickness, he found
 that nearly one-half of the deaths now occurring in the United States are unnecessary And he added, "The sickness rate prevailing among the poor is from two to three times that prevailing among the well-to-do. Any loss from sickness is 8 far more vital matter to them than to the rich. The ', 1,f !, !, hi chief asset
 Aside from the benefits to the in sured working men and women from the cash compensation and medical
 services in time of illness, Professor
 Fisher finds in compulsory health in surance a powerful instrument with
 which to accomplish the prevention of
 needless illness and to lessen poverty
 He said: Health insurance is need
 ed in the United States in order to tide the workers over the grave emer-' gencies incident to illness as well as in order to reduce illness itself, length en life, abate poverty, improve work
 ing power, raise the wage level, and diminish the causes of industrial dis content. It is not a panacea. It will not bring the millennium. But there is no other measure now before the public which equals the power of health insurance toward social regen- eration."
 "Two-fifths of the cost" pointed out Professor Fisher. twill be borne by the employer, one-fifth by the state, and the remaining two-fifths by the insured employe. And the benefits will cost the employer only 1 1-2 per cent. of wages. The Administration of the benefits by local mutual funds controlled jointly by employers and in- sured employees will assure the fairest and most democratic distribution of benefits
 Stress was laid by Professor Fisher upon the compulsory features of health insurance as making it cheap CT and also really providing the bene- fit in every case where and when it is most needed. He said that pres ent insurance facilities in the United States are, and, so far as we can see always will be hopelessly inadequate' to meet this need.
 "The cordial and almost unprece- dented welcome which this movement has received in spite of the opposi- ton of strong vested interests and their and injure the move ment,'' said Professor Fisher, would i seem to indicate that the time for l health insurance in the United States | is ripe" |