Evening star., 1935-02-07
MEDICAL DENTAL
GROUPS UNITE TO
AID NEEDY HERE
Service Bureau Approved to
Finance Requirements of
Many Families.
STEP FIRST OF KIND
To BE TAKEN IN U. s.
Will Care for Group Between
Charity Cases and Those
Able to Pay.

Establishment of Medical-Dental
Service Bureau in Washington to
handle the financial aspects of medi-
cal and dental services for families
of small wage eaInerS has been de-
cided upon by the four chief profess
sional bodies representing the two
fields.
This makes Washington the first
city in the United States, according
to an announcement today from the
Medical Society of the District of
Columbia, with a set-up established
by the physicians and dentists them
selves to care for all classes of pa
tients. It is the most far-reaching
answer yet made by the professions
to the increasing demand, as re-
fiected in proposed legislation, to
socialize health services.
May Be Model for U. S.
Leading physicians here believe it
may become a model for rhe rest of
the Nation. One or another of the
features have been put into effect in
other cities, but nowhere else have
the two professions provided for the
entire economic range OF patients.
The four societies represented are:
The Medical Society of the District
of Columbia, the District of Columbia
Dental Society, the Medico-C Chirurgi-
Cal Society (colored) and the Robert
T FTeemen Dental Society (colored).
This establishment, which is ex-
pected to be under way in approx
mately a month. will be financed
Jointly by the four societies. The bu-
reau was unanimously approved at the
meeting of the Medical Society of the
District Of Columbia last night.
The Medical-Dental Service Bu-
reau, as contemplated, will act some
what in the role of financial secre-
tary" for the two professions in so far
as their relations are concerned with
the great group who are not in the
charity class, who desire professional
services from men Of their own choice,
but who are financially pinched.
Procedure Outlined.
The procedure, as at present out
lined, will be as follows:
The small wage Garner will go to
the physician or dentist of his choice,
state his case, and be told the ap-
proximate cost of the services re-
quired.
He will explain that his financial
situation is such that the charges will
be quite difficult to meet and that he
can only meet them on some plan OF
extended payments.
The professional man will then refer
him to the Medical-Dental Service
Bureau to attend to the financial as
poets of the case. From this point on
he is concerned only with the medical
or dental side.
The patient will go to the bureau,
state his financial situation and the
appropriate arrangements will be made
for extended payments of as much OF
the doctors bill as, after investigation,
it appears within the individuals
power to pay If the professional man
agrees to accept this amount, the
transaction is finished so far as f1nan-
cial arrangements between himself
and the patient are concerned.
Bureau Will Collect.
The payments will be made to the
bureau. 1t. in turn, will pay the
physician or dentist.
Hla nf % ic rn1nh
the entire class of patients between
those who are entirely competent to
pay the customary fees and those
who have so little income that health
services must be had practically with
out cost if they are to be had at all.
Patients of the latter class now are
provided for through the recently in
augurated central admitting bureau.
The establishment Of the medical
dental service bureau makes it pos
sible for the patient in reduced cir
cumStances, or with heavy load of
expenses, to keep his self-respect and
complete independence in case OF
family illness without placing him
under an extreme burden. according
to the Society'S statement.
Lie llldIlCldI dIIdllSClllCAlOo, ~ 10
proposed, will be made after due con-
sideration of each particular case and
all the circumstances involved. Thus
a man earning very good salary
might, due to a series of family mis-
fortunes. be in position where need
for medical or dental services would
place him in difficult situation. His
case, as others. will fall within the
domain of the bureau.