Montana labor news., 1936-06-25
Schepens Asks for
Better Medical Aid
BY H L. ~sCHEPENs

By JOHN L.. SCHEPENS
1t IS said in China physicians re-
ceive their pay as long as the patient
remains well, but the instant he be-
comes ill-no more money for the doc
tor until he RECEIVERS. We often &C
cuse the Chinaman of doing things
backward, he reads his newspaper up
and down instead Of from left to
right as we do, puts his last name first,
etc. Perhaps this is one time where
it is we who put the cart before the
horse. How much nor sensible to
pay for health rather than for sick
ness?
I'll venture to say that there are not
two men in this group who have not
had the experience Of being stricken
by illness on the part Of themselves
or their families when they could least
afford to pay doctor or hospital bill.
May be the money can be raised, but
again maybe it can't and a loved one
is suffering-perhaps in danger OF
death-what them
True, we have a county doctor and
a county hospital, and we give them
credit. But suppose you are not eli
gible for county aid or are not con-
sidered to be so? 1t takes quite a bit
of red tape and a dangerous delay, to
be accepted at the county hospital in
that case.
In our town we have some doctors
who are merciful enough and generous
enough to do a great deal of profess
sional work and wait for their pay
maybe never get it. Gods W SER
wants thesel But we have more, who
assert that they don't do business that
way" and who must be assured of their
pay before starting to treat the patient
no matter how urgent the need.
One case in this county concerns a
farmer who had paid a cool $4,000 cash
to one surgeon for performing a series
of operations on his young wife. The
doctor had assured them that n
more would be needed and she would
recover her health. When the time
came for the final operation he re-
fused to even start it unless $3.50 cash
was paid. The distracted husband
had used all of his means and mortg-
aged all Of his collateral to meet the
previous bills, so he could not raise
$3.50. The operation was one of
highly specialized nature and could
not be performed by every doctor, as
the specialist we'll understood. The
wife and mother is still suffering with
out the needed attention.
Country people are the hardest hit
by this pay as you enter hospital sys-
TEN. How many of you have not
known Of at least one death which oc-
Cured without a physicians service
simply because the weather was too
cold or the roads were too bad and a
doctor would not venture to make the
trip or if he came at all, arrived too
late to be of assistance?
Again it is not always the doctors
fault, people are too prone to put off
medical attention until it becomes a
matter OF life or immediate death be-
cause they are confronted with that
eternal question, "Where is the money
to come from?"
Now we all know that the school
ing necessary to produce a f~ull-fldge
surgeon requires years of time and
costs around the sum Of $4,000. We
know that instruments and other
equipment, drugs and anaesthetics are
astonishingly high.
A family may be ever so destitute
but the children attend the same
schools and are taught by the same
teachers as are those Of Il wealthiest
citizen. Oh yes, in America we con-
slider the education of all our future
citizens a matter of public concern.
Now, the question is, why isn't the
health of the whole country a matter
of public interest as well? Why may
those who have enough money, go to
{ one hospital, those who have none, to
, another, those who have but a little
4 to none at all? Why can't our hos
r pitfalls and doctors be paid for as oui
schools are? 1t is certain the doctors
e would not object to receiving pay for
= all of their work and doing away with
e the necessity of over charging the pa.
h tients who pay their bills, to make uE
for those who don't?
"Oh," | hear groans, more taxes
Not necessarily-just a little OF thu
d great waste that now exists in publ
n expenditures, taken up and used TO
It the benefit of every citizen. 1t seem
that a slice off that ten million dolla
# gasoline tax which was collected il
a the state OF Montana last year, coul'
be put to no worthier use. Anothe
possible source should be that non
l. trous liquor tax. Alcohol causes 81
TT much misery it seems only fair that
it should alleviate a little Of it.
is But even failing in these method
who would not feel willing to pay
tax equal to his school tax, and be as
sured that any time sickness or injur.
occurred in his family he had the doc
tors and hospital bills already paid i
advance?
Why hasn't Dawson County a pub
re- lie health center where the hospital
is maintained, doctors and nurses pal
A. regular salaries, and where every per
a son is free to go for whatever treat
ct ment or care is needed?
id Such an institution would be as ia
e. removed from a County hospital a
st the Glendive schools are from an OF
e. phan's home. Not a charitable inst
tn tution-no shame would be attached t
D. accepting It's benefits-there would b