Evening star., 1933-02-15
SAYS MOST PEOPLE
GAMBLE ON HEALTH
Homer Wickenden Urges
Group disqualification to
Solve Problem.

Most people are gamblers when IT
comes to health hazards, Homer Wick
enden, general director Of the United
Hospital Fund Of New York, told a
group at meeting yesterday at the
2. w. c. A., under the auspices of the
Hospital Administration Committee Of
the Council of Social Agencies.
He cited the group disqualification
plans of Dallas. Tex. Newark, N. j.,
and London, England.
The annual fee, he believed, could
be reduced to about $40 by contracting
with groups of persons.
"A broader basis Of support must be
found if the 4,800 voluntary hospitals
Of this country are to continue to give
the public the advantage of the best
that medicine can offer" Mr.. Wicken-
den said. Hospital incomes have
fallen off and deficits are mounting at
such rate as to threaten restriction
Of their charitable services to the
public.
Tax Support Shrinking.
"Tax support for the care of the
indigent is approved by the laws of
many States. but tax support is shrink
ing and tax funds seldom help to pay
only pay a small portion of the cost
of his care.
Charitable gifts always have been
sought to aid in the provision of free
service. but the sources of charitable
gifts are drying up and many contribu-
tons must be diverted to the care of
the unemployed.
1T would be an injustice to increase
Pie charges to the paying patient. He
already is paying his full share"
Hospital costs cannot be greatly re-
Quced, for every economy Is offset by
an improved and more costly medical
technique, the speaker said The logi-
cal alternative is to spread the cost
OF hospital care over large number
Of people-making it possible for a
small annual payment to cover the cost
OF caring for those in the group who
fall i'll.
Urges Insured Health"
while We readily insure ourselves
against death and fire, when 1t comes
gamblers" Mr.. Wickenden continued
Even though an individual wished to
do so, it is almost impossible for him
to budget his hospital expense ac-
curately. but it has been proved that
group of people can do so.
Experience shows that approx
mately per cent of the members of
the group require hospital care in any
one year and that the average cost per
patient is fairly constant.
"In other words, hospital expense Is
measurable risk, and the problem Is
to make the facilities for meeting that
risk available to the wage Garner at
q price that he can pay.
This problem, like all problems re-
lating to the cost of medical care, can
not be solved by the hospitals alone
It can only be solved by the co-opera-
ton of the medical profession, the hos
pitfalls and the laymen.
Requirements Cited.
For any plan of group payment for
hospital care to succeed, the layman
must be assured that he will receive
at the lowest reasonable cost the Serv-
ice he is entitled to, the hospital must
be assured of a reasonable income for
the care of the patient, while the doc
tor must have assurance that the plan
does not interfere with his relationship
to the patient. And experience has
shown that all three can be benefited
by the establishment of such a plan If
the plan is based on sound principles"
Mr.. Wickenden said prominent ply
sicians IN New York are sitting in at
meetings there and taking a wide in
terest in the proposed plan.
At the conclusion of the meeting ap-
pointment of a committee was author
lied to study the feasibility of the plan
for Washington.