The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-07-10
The Haskell-Klaus Law.

| Inc f0SkellsAl0uS Law.
somethi1g al; about I'll the - Perkins en Law,
under whose beneticent provisions
SO many diseased and crippled chill
dren have been helped, and in many
instances made whole, at the Uni
July first the Haskell klaus Law,
which extends the benefits of, the
Perkins Law to adults, will be in
effect. This law was passed by both
houses of the General Assembly
without a dissenting vote. 1t is ,ev-
erywhere looked upon as one OF the
statute books of this or any other
state. The object of this article is
to acquaint the people generally with
the provisions of this law.
Briefly stated, they are as follows:
court may, on his own motion or on
Information furnished him by ply
sician, an oyerseer of the. poor, a
probation officer, a public health
nurse, minister, priest or policeman,
regarding any citizen of his district
who is suffering from a deformity or
malady that can probably be, helped
hospital care, and who is not able
to provide for same, cause hearing
to be had and an Investigation to be
made; first, through the office of
the county attorney as to the cir
cumstances of the patient, and sec
report to the court on blanks fur
nished by the state as to whether or
not, in his opinion, the patient may
be helped by medical or surgical
treatment and hospital care. II the
physician reports that, in his opinion
the, patient may be helped, and it
is found that he or she is not able
and hospital care, the court will
commit such patient (the patient
himself consenting) to the hospital
of the College of Medicine of the
State University of Iowa for treat
ment and care.
patients who are thus committed is
paid by the state. Members of the
medical faculty receive nothing for
their services except such salaries as
are paid them by the State Univer-
sity.
To put it another way, any Judge
Of a district or superior court, physi-
officer, public health nurse, minister,
priest or policeman who has know
ledge of any citizen of Iowa who
needs medical or surgical treatment
or hospital care, and who is not able
to pay for the same, may set the
machinery in motion to have such
person taken care Of and provided
with the best that modern medical
science affords.
Judges, of course, have the prop
er blanks at hand others can secure
them at the office of the clerk of the
district or superior court as the case
may be. The information being
1rl E@ ,,,%.. -
Anyone not of these classes specit-
cally named in the statute, can act
through them. That is to say, any
one who knows of deserving per-
son who would come under the pro-
visions of this law may go to any
doctor, overseer of the poor, proba-
ton officer, public health nurse,
his attention to the case and get him
to file the necessary information.
Care should be exercised-and
doubtless will be exercised by the
courts--to see to it that none but |
those properly entitled to the bene-
fits Of this law take advantage of it.
At the same time, no deserving per-
son should be deprived of the priv
ileges which the state has so gener-
ously provided.
The University Hospital has al
ways taken care of those recon-
mended to it by physicians, county
and ministers of the gospel,
as not able to pay the usual medical,
surgical and hospital charges. but
hospital care at actual cost. Such
patients were known as clinical
patients No fee was ever charged
1 clinical patient by any MEMBER of
he hospital staff. Such cases will
continue to be received on like terms
University Hospital under the pro-
'isions of the Haskell-klaus Law I'M
eSs he or she is so .circumstanced
IS not to be able to pay by and for
himself or herself the actual cost of
hospital care. There are, however,
many people, even in our own fav-
red state of Iowa, who cannot afford
he term Hospital Care" and it is
or the benefit of such persons that
his law was enacted
The results Of the Perkins Law
ave appealed to the people of this
tate as few. things have done More
han four thousand children have
ID to lives of dependency and suf- !!
ering. have been put in the way of
'ecoming self-supporting, happy
md bring back to health and use
illness older persons who, but for
his law. might be doomed TO lives
# suffering. and but partial useful
less, that this Haskell-Klaus Law
vas enacted. That it will prove a
blessing and pay the state, even from
he standpoint of dollars and cents,
,oes without saying 1t is in keep
ng with the spirit of this age. Let
hose who are entitled to it take adj
'antage Of it, and let everyone VINO
,nows of those who should take adj
'antage of it see to it that their
reeds are brought to the attention