Evening star., 1935-01-03
District Society Demands
Standard Procedure Be
~ Adopted.
INSTALLMENT PAYING
URGED FOR THOSE ABLE
Resolution Says Value of Free
Services Probably Exceeds
Total Chest Budget.

Asserting its members are making
an annual contribution to the poor
of Washington in the form of services
probably exceeding the total annual
budget of the Community Chest. the
Medical Society of the District OF
Columbia at its meeting last night
adopted a far-reaching statement of
its policies In respect to free treat
ment of the INDECENT and those in
reduced circumstances.
The society, whose membership in
cludes a large majority of the medical
practitioners of the District, stressed
the fact the physician is not obJect1ng
to the disproportionate burden OF
charity which falls upon his shoulders.
He insists, however, that it shall not
be dictated. either by official or un-
ofiicial agencies, and that standard
procedures be adopted.
One of these is the Central Ad-
mitting Bureau of the Community
Chest, which has the full Endorsement
of the society. Still another is a
plan, now under consideration, for a
standardized system of "installment
payments" for medical services on
the part of those who can pay mod
crate fees If given time. The proposal
contemplates budgeted payments with
out interest charges.
Points to Social Problem.
Concerning this group, the state
ment accompanying a resolution
adopted last night says:
1T needs to be called pointedly to
the attention of all concerned that
permitting such individuals to become
objects of medical charity is not only
unfair to all parties concerned, but
contrary to the best interests Of
society as a whole. It causes the
individual to lose self-respect and
engenders In him anti-social habits of
thought concerning the mutual obli-
cations between him and the society
OF which he is part.
1T causes the physician a pecuniary
loss and promotes endless friction be-
tween him and the agencies re-
sponsible for any such inequitable
distribution"
The statement continues:
According to statistics given by
the report of the Committee on the
Costs of Medical Care, the medical
profession of the United States, made
up of approximately 100000 physi-
clans, contributes services to the sick
poor valued at $1,0c0.00o daily. Ac-
cording to these figures. since ap-
proximately l per cent of the physi-
clans in the country as a whole are
practicing in the District of Colum-
bia. the contribution of free service
of the local profession would amount
to between $4,000 and $4,000 daily,
an annual contribution equaling or
exceeding the annual budget of the
Community Chest.
Says Doctors Bear Burden.
"Since the Community Chest is OBJ
viously unable to remunerate physi-
clans for their services to the sick
poor, and since the contribution of
the District government for this pur-
pose is largely represented by 10
physicians to the poor at a salary
of 81 per day less 10 per cent, 1t Is
obvious that medical care of the
INDECENT is left practically entirely to
the charity of the local profession.
"The District government and the
Community Chest provide food, shell
ter and hospital and administrative
facilities, for furnishing which every
one concerned is remunerated on
commercial basis. The absolutely
essential item in medical care, with
out which none of the facilities men,
toned is of any practical value,
namely, the trained skill and judg-
ment of the physician, is accepted
from him without any effort being
made for his remuneration, and
should, therefore, be looked upon by
the agencies concerned as a purely
charitable contribution on his part.
This charity involves not only the
gift Of the skilled services of the
physician, but in making the gift
there is involved time and transpor-
tation. the first a potential. and the
second an actual out-of pocket cost.
Object to Dictation.
1T follows that any agency, govern
menCdl OF prlVaUe, LQaL Is concerning
itself in planning for medical care
for indigents is preparing. to the ex-
tent that its contemplated activities
include the services of physicians, to
give away that which 1t does not
possess and for which it does not and
apparently cannot pay. ''*
The Medical Society, therefore, by
the adoption of this resolution and
statement, gives notice that any COM
mitments for the disposal of free
medical services arrived at by indi-
viduals, groups. committees or any
agencies, official or unofficial. to whose
deliberations 1t has not been a party,
arg without binding effect upon it or
itssHembers and remain entirely sub
ject to its approval or disapproval."