The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-01-30
FULL MEDICAL
CARE FOR $50
YEARLY is SEEN
Possible Under Guild Plan
of Medicine in Groups of
$1,000 Subscribers.
BY FLORA G.. ORR
Times stan Writer

WASHINGTON, Jan 30.-All our
lives we have heard about the clever
Chinese who pay their doctors to
keep them well, stopping payment
If Illness occurs.
The American translation of that
idea always seemed remote, but
Evans Clark, director of the TWen-
tieth Century Fund, Inc, in a book
: published today for the Fund by
Harper and Brothers How to Bud
get Health has presented in words
which seem very practical a COM
plete plan for doing almost the
same thing in the United States.
Briefly, he suggests, not socialized
medicine, as did the report from the
committee on the costs of medical
care, but organized medical guilds
or clinics, expenses Of which would
be borne by the subscribers, who
wish to assure themselves of COM
plete and adequate medical care,
come what may.
Cost at $50 a Year
He estimates that, excluding in
90 sane and tubercular cases, thirty
two doctors and seven part time
physicians and dentists could be
supported on adequate and COM
Portable salaries by $4,000 subscrib-
ers to the service, who in turn would
be we'll cared for by this group of
medicos throughout all their all
ments and health worries and
tribulations
The cost per person would run be-
tween $50 and $50 per year, which
compares favorably with the present
cost in this country of the most
liberal health insurance policy with
adequate coverage.
The payments from subscribers
also would cover upkeep Of the
clinic, medicines, equipment. clerical
and managing staff.
There might be a hospital at
tached to the unit, or the group
might have arrangements with a
hospital for all necessary hospitali-
cation and surgical arrangements.
Incentive to Keep You Well
Thus, If you were a member of
such a guild, your doctors would
have every incentive to keep you
well, since the less sickness among
the members the lighter the ply
sicianS' work would be.
Twentieth Century Fund investi-
gators have found that there is al
ready strong trend in the direction
of group medical practice, despite
the opposition of many individual
physicians.
Practically every outstanding
clinic and institute and many of the
schemes for industrial medical care
has been studied carefully.
The nearest approach to the guild
plan in this country at present
would seem to be the Security Bene-
fit Association of Topeka, Kan,
which maintains hospitals, orphan
asylums and schools, and gives pro-
lection for every member of the
family for every form of sickness,
accident, death, old age; partial and
permanent and total disability. Pre-
miums which are very low for a
child under 16 vary after that age,
depending upon age when the men,
Der joins.
Founded BY Filene
1t is interesting to note that the
United States is tagging behind
other countries in requiring citizens
to carry sickness insurance.
In this country we have gone
ahead with compulsory accident in
surance for workmen. In the Meth
erlands, however, compulsory health
insurance never has been necessary,
due to the fact that practically the
entire wage-carning population be-
longs to medical aid societies along
lines of the guild plan.
The Twentieth Century Fund was
founded by Edward A. Filene of
Boston, and the trustees include
Newton d. Baker, Henry S. Denni-
son, Bruce Bliven, Roscoe Pound
and Owen d. Young.