Evening star., 1924-10-31
DOCTORS EXPLAIN
NEW SCALE OF FEES
Members of Profession Say
Protection of Physician and
Patient Is Aim.

+Adoption of a scale of minimum
: nd maximum prices for professional
medical service is not an innovation,
either in Washington or the. country
It large. and cannot be construed as
. price fixing combine" among
physicians of the National Capital.
prominent members of the Medical
Society of the District of Columbia
announced today, following publica-
lion in The Star yesterday of such
scale.
The scale was intended solely as
q protective measure not only Tor
physicians but for their patients, 1t
vaS pointed out. 1t was designed
,-Irectually to preclude the charging
of eXorbitant fees by irresponsible
practitioners. if such there be here,
1T the expense of wealthy but unin-
formed clients. a secondary aim, it
was indicated was to eliminate petty
fees splitting" by physicians think
ing more of the business end of their
practice than the professional end
TO the ultimate detriment of their
patients.
DIR. Guthrie's Comment.
Or. NJ. c. Guthrie. executive officer
of the Public Health Service. COM
menting today on the price list.
pointed out that a wide range of
charges for each phase of medical
treatment is provided for in the list,
and emphasized that, while mini
mum was set, the fact must not be
overlooked that maximum, as well,
is fixed. He expressed the opinion
that the prices adopted appear to be
about the same as those customarily
charged by physicians everywhere.
Stress was laid by members of the
la, f~1f ~
is not expected TO apply in all cases,
as members are told to use their
own discretion in levying charges in
Charitable or special eases. Rather
than allow a patient in need of med
ical attention TO suffer from lack of
care because he may be unable to
pay the established price for treat
ment the society urges its members
10 consider the particular circum-
stances surrounding each case and
govern their fees accordingly. Also.
IN extraordinary cases of surgical
or medical care, a member is allowed
to charge higher than the scale
Held Not Price-FixinE Scheme.
For these reasons it was explained,
the public should not look upon the
scale IS d hard and fast price fixin &
scheme entered into without regard
20 the public interest. 1t is, on the
other hand, step to guard them
against unethical practices.
Prior to the late war there exist ed
q scale OF prices governing dental
practice in the District of Colum bia,
but due to the varying conditions in
the dental profession since the war
it has been impossible to establish a
scale, according to DR.. w. NJ Sim
kins, secretary Of the District of CO.
ium bia Dental Society.
As evidence of the fact that price
scales in the medical profession is
not new it was recalled here today
that Johns Hopkins Hospital in Bal
Uimore announced some time ago the
adoption Of scale of charges for op-
erations and treatment at that insti-
tuition, one of the foremost of its kind
in America.
Medical societies in various other
States are said to have scales similar
TO that in force here. but they were
not followed in formulating the local
prices, il was asserted. So far as
could DE learned here, there is no gen.
eral movement nationally, fostered by
the American Medical Association or
other bodies, to regulate prices, vary
ing conditions in different commune
ties probably precluding such a step.