Evening star., 1933-10-17
GROUP TREATMENT
VIRTUALLY CERTAIN
Nine Institutions Accept Plan
Which May Cost Only IS
Cents a Month.
Continued From First Page.)

ara WOIkS OuG tIlc Octdllcu plAu VI
operation employees in private industry
as well as Government service will be
solicited to subscribe. Mr.. Hines said
cials in the departments had promised
to cooperate to make the plan success.
All hospitals In Washington qualified
to join the movement were invited. Mr.
Hines pointed out, and nearly all of
them indorsed the plan. Government
hospitals. charitable hospitals and chill
dren's hospitals, he said, were not
qualified.
THE hospitals are enthusiastic about
the plan, and We are assured of their
cooperation" Mr.. Hines declared. I'VE
also have the support Of the medical
profession and all big employers OF
labor, Federal as we'll as private.
Plan Wide in Scope.
"The plan means so much to the hos
pitak, the employer group and the pub
lie. and no city. believe, promises such
a large degree Of success as Washington
because of the large group of Govern
ment employees"
Data gathered by the group hos
pitalization committee. Mr.. Hines said,
show that the average stay of a pa
tient in a hospital in Washington is
IL days, whereas the plan adopted will
assure a subscriber patient 81 days of
care II a subscriber patient is forced
receive hospital treatment at sub
stantial discount under the regular
rates
The hospitals cooperating. accord
ing to Mr. Hines. have agreed to ac-
commodate the subscriber patients in
semi-private rooms or rooms having
two beds
The group disqualification plan was
worked out by a general committee
headed by Mr.. Hines. former men,
Der Of Congress from Ohio. and now
president of Columbia Hospital. E. j.
Henryson Is secretary of the commit
tee He has Just completed a trip to
all cities in the Eastern and Middle
Western States where the group hospi-
talization program has been adopted or
is under consideration, where he gath
cred information about the plan for the
use of the incorporators.
The benefits to be offered subscribers.
and the conditions under which such
benefits are to be available, were an
nounced as follows:
Il. Hospital care as defined below,
proval OF the contract. except, that in
case of accident. such care shall be
provided Immediately after the approval
Of the contract.
2. The subscriber may select any
hospital having a contract with the
Hospital Service Association in force at
the time hospital service is required; :;
however. such service is subject to the
rules and regulations of the hospital
selected by the subscriber, and includes
only the care Of illness and injuries now
accepted for treatment by such hospital.
Restrictions Are Few.
"3 Services shall be rendered under
this contract only upon the authorize
tion and request of the subscribers ply
sician. who must be member of the
medical stan or council Of, or accept
able to. the selected hospital. Hospital
care shall continue only during the time
that the subscriber is under treatment
and care of such physician in accord
ance with his staff privileges at such
hospital. and will end at the time that
the subscriber is discharged as a hos
pital patient by his physician After
the date Of such discharge the sub
scriber will be responsible to the hospi-
tai for payment Of Its regular charges.
4. II the hospital selected by the SUBJ
scriber is not in a position to furnish
the required service, the subscriber. on
the recommendation of his physician,
shall be free to utilize the services of
any other hospital equipped to give such
service and participating In the Hos
pital Service plan.
IS. Hospital care will be furnished up
to and including 81 days for each con-
tract year, during the time that this
subscription is in force; such care may
be given on one or more admissions,
provided the aggregate days in any con-
tract year shall not exceed 81. Addi-
tional hospital care in excess of the
stipulated 81 days, II needed, will be
furnished to the subscriber at q dis
count of 25 per cent from the regular
hospital charge for similar accommo-
dations as provided for in the contract.
To Get Private Room.
"6 When admitted to a hospital, a
subscriber shall be entitled to occupy
a bed in private or semi-private ac-
commodations If the subscriber de-
sires to use more expensive accommoda-
tions. he may do so by paying, in ac-
cordance with the terms Of the hospital,
the difference between the accommoda-
tions occupied and the regular rate for
the room and service desired.
-. Hospital care shall be construed
to mean:
"a. Bed and board, general nursing
care. use of the operating room. sur
gical dressings. ordinary indications,
routine laboratory examinations and
other customary routine care.
"b. Obstetrical cases after the first
10 months Of the existence of this con-
tract.
"8. Services not included:
"a. The Hospital Service Association
assumes no obligation other than those
afore set forth.
3D. The benefits offered by this con-
tract shall not include the services of
the subscribers attending physician or
surgeon, anesthetist, special nurses, or
their board
&C Hospital care for pulmonary tu-
berculosis (after diagnosis as such) +,
acute veneral diseases. quarantinable
diseases, alcoholic or drug addict cases,
mental or nervous disorders. or hospital
care provided for under workmen's COM
pensation law are not included in the
benefits offered by this contract.
Altered During Disasters.
%. In the event of widespread disas-
ter. where the demands upon the Hos
pital Service Association hospitals have
exceeded their utmost capacity. and
after all efforts have been exhausted in
meeting the pressing situation. the re-
sponsibility Of providing hospital care
under this contract may be discharged
by refunding to the subscriber needing
disqualification a sum equivalent to the
amount that has been paid by him dur
ing the current contract year. and such
payment shall constitute full and final
discharge Of all obligations Of the Hos
pital Service Association under this con-
tract"
The movement for group hospitaliza-
ton was first sponsored in Washington
by the Council Of Social Agencies. The
organization which will put the plan
into operation, however, will be separate
from all existing social agencies.
In working out the plan. q group
headed by DR.. Francis J. Eisenman Of
Garfield Hospital, made an exhaustive