Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-15

DIN West of the American Medical As
ISOLATION has posed as the most Inn
potant question confronting the medical
profession.
Legislatures Study Need.
In the United States is State Legis-
latures in recent years have considered
the subject. Eight States have created
commissions to investigate 1t, and in
one State a proposal for compulsory
health insurance was submitted to q
referendum vote. In no case has such
measure become law.
The Committee on the Costs of Medi-
cal care set to work with no precon-
ceived purpose other than to make a
thorough study of the whole situation.
1t had in mind however, the undoubted
fact that most American physicians
are opposed to compulsory health in
surance and that they would accept 1t
only if there were no other way of de-
livering adequate medical service to
all the people"
The committee has a membership of
so persons, Is of whom represent the
private practice of medicine and den
tistry, 6 represent public health service,
IL represent institutions and special In
tereStS, 6 represent economies and So
GEOLOGY and 10 represent the public.
Twenty-three hold the degree Of doctor
Va hlCNACAAAC G1AASC 1871 ILlC WOEh Ildo
been going steadily forward, with this
| typically American group getting their
feet under the same table at regular
| intervals for discussion and consulta-
ton. At the same time, a research
staff. under the direction of DR.. Harry
H. Moore, formerly public health econ
omist of the United States Public
Health Service. has been digging into
the facts which bear on the problem.
First Survey Of Wide Scope.
The work was planned to consume
| five years, with the backing of the Car
negie Corporation. the Milbank Me-
mortal Fund. the Russell Sage Founda-
tons, the Twentieth Century Fund. the
Julius Rosenwald Fund, the Rockefeller
Foundation, the New York Foundation
and the Josiah Macy, Jr., Foundation.
| At the same time, it has had the CO.
operation of the American Medical As
ISOLATION and the American Dental
Association. It is the first survey of its
sort and of so thorough q nature to
be made in any country. The under
| lying idea is the thoroughly scientific
one that no decisive steps should be
taken or recommended until the prob
able results Of such steps could be
| known.
The committee determined to find out,
so far as was possible, how much sick
ness there was in the United States. of
what kind and what general facilities
there were for dealing with it; how
much the patients paid and how much
| physicians, dentists. hospitals and other
agents received, and what existing ia
cilities there were for organized medical
service for particular groups Of the pop
ulation.
An astonishing amount of ignorance
existed as to the prevalence Of certain
disorders.
Existing Data Compiled.
Some of the studies so far made in
clude compilations of existing material
on the extent of illness and various
physical and mental defects n the
United States, a survey Of data with re-
gard to the medical facilities available
for preventing and treating illness, q
study of hospital service for persons Of
moderate means, an examination Of q
typical industrial medical service, that
organized by the Endicott johnson Co.
for $4,000 workers, and a survey of the
medical services Of a representative
rural community, Shelby County. Ind.
| The publication of other studies, now
completed or being made, will follow.
Taken as whole, these investiga-
tons are expected to show, directly or
| through the presentation of typical
cross sections, the extent of sickness
and disability in the United States and
what is being done about it. Their
tenor is optimistic, for they indicate THAT
much more may be done than is now
being done. There is no doubt that the
existing rates of sickness, of mental and
physical disability and of premature
death can be greatly reduced If we
apply to them more thoroughly the
knowledge we already possess
To help achieve this end the COM
nlittee will make such practical recon-
mendationS aS IL ran