Seward daily gateway., 1933-05-18
SIGNATURES BEING OBTAINED HEALTH
 INSURANCE PLAN
SEWARD, MEDICAL CENTER OF ALASKA IS THE GOAL OF
 ORGANIZATION


 completion, promises to make Of Seward not only the medical cen ter of Western and Central Vest ern Alaska, but meet one of the crying needs of society-cheaper medical attention-has been set into action by the Seward Com nlunity Health Insurance plan, and number of signatures have already been obtained.
 The plan is what is known as the group or physicians guild, and is patterned after plans now in op- eration in the States and which are proving of untold advantage to the beneficiaries.
 Under the guild system, the cost of full medical service will not ex- ceed $20 per person, and in the event of general adoption on the, part of those requiring health su- pervision and possible medical at tention, the cost would be reduced on the basis of volume, possibly dropping to S16 per annum per person, and eventually to as low as $1O.
 In it's general scope the plan af- lords medical insurance at rates far below those now entailed un- der the individual treatment sys- tenn.
 Easing primary estimates of en- rollment in this health insurance at 250 persons, the rate of $20 will prevail. When this reaches 300 or more, the rate would drop to ap- proximately $16, and on similar progressions the rate would drop.
 Taking survey presented by Evans Clark, in his How to Budg- ct Health" as a fair epitome of the question, it is pointed out that even in ordinary times only the richest tenth of the American peo- pie have any reasonable assurance of being able to pay for the medical care they might need. The trouble was not that medical care was too expensive, but what was actually being expended would have been enough to pay for adequate care for everyone if costs and facilities could have been distributed, al though. actually, the records show, two Americans out of five were getting no medical or dental care whatever.
 It is also shown that in spite of all that philanthropy and govern ment have done in this country for medical care of the poor, the families with the lowest incomes and least surplus over the costs of the bare necessities of life actually spend a higher proportion of in come for medical care than do those in relatively comfortable circumstances.
 Under the guild or group Sys- tenn the organiza tion proposes to introduce, once the fee was paid, the subscriber will know that medical bills could not, leap up un- expectedly to crush him, however serious an illness might occur.
 The principle, as MT. Clark points out, is one which has been tried successfully in various ways among industrial and university groups, though typically not in as inclus- i've a form as he outlines. Since the publication of his book leading hospitals have manifested wide spread interest in a not diSsimilar plan whereby people may be sure of getting hospital service at need, on payment of a small annual fee, though in most instances the phy- sician'S fee is not included in the arrangement. In California the State Medical Society has approv- ed a plan for medical service for { annual fees worked out through the local medical societies. Within their admitted limita- tions, however, the principles of l group organization and group pay ment embodied in the proposal of medical guilds offer great advan- tages to both doctors and patients.
 Adopting the guild plan, includ- ing those provisions which have made it a signal success and cloth ed it with popularity, the plan varies slightly only in matter or
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