Evening star., 1937-11-22
DOCTORS To Offer
own BUDGET PLAN
FOR MEDICAL CARE
Meet Tonight to Consider
Program to Meet New
Recent Demands.
REPORT OF STUDY
TO BE PRESENTED
DR.. Wallace NJ. Yater Will Tell of
Conclusions After Consulta.
tion in Chicago.

The District Medical Society will
convene in special business session
tonight to consider the doctors own
plan for the "budgeting of medical
care"
The called meeting of the society
follows a long -drawn-out study of
this problem and its more recent fight
against Group Health Association,
Inc, the new corporation established
to budget medical care of 1000 en-
ployeS of the Federal Home Loan
Bank Board and its affiliated organi-
cations.
Details of the new plans of the
doctors to budget medical care of
patients were not disclosed in ad-
vance of the meeting but it was be-
lleved the program may include more
extended use of the society's Medical
Dental Service Bureau, TIT I street
NV, Of Group disqualification, Inc,
and "health-savings" plans.
Report to Be Presented.
OF vital Importance to the medical
profession at the meeting will be the
official report of DR.. Wallace M. Yater,
professor of medicine at Georgetown
University, who has just returned
from Chicago, where he conferred
with national trustees of the American
Medical Association on local problems.
DR.. Yater was accompanied by DR..
Coursen B. Conklin of this city, who
remained in Chicago longer than Dr.
Yater, but was expected to return in
time for tonight's session. AS editors
Of the local Medical Societys annals
the two attended the annual confer
ence of State secretaries and editors
OF the A. M. A. They also conferred
with trustees of the organization.
At the District Building, meantime,
ofhcials were waiting for the brief
being prepared by counsel employed
by the Medical Society in opposition to
Group Health Association. A brief
already has been filed in defense of
G. H. A. by Horace Russell, general
counsel Of the F.. H. L. B. B. Cor
poration Counsel Elwood H. Seal is
making a study, at the request of Dis
trict Health Officer George c. Rutland,
Of two questions-whether G. H. A. is
operating an insurance business while
holding papers of incorporation only
as a corporation under laws of the
District and whether it is a corpora
tion engaged in the practice of medi-
cine. G. H. A. is understood to deny
both charges.
Discussion Promised.
At the Medical Society meeting the
last prononuncement of the A. M. A.
at Chicago, attacking the advocates of
state medicine" may be taken up, DR..
Yater and DR.. Conklin are understood
to have brought back with them an Of
f1cial copy Of the A. M. A. pronounce
ment on this point. 1t is reply by
the A. NJ A. to a committee of ply
sicians, numbering 430 until one ply
sician here resigned. The committee,
sometimes designated rebels" by the
opposing faction, had advocated that
the Government consolidate all Fed
eral health and medical activities in
one department and provide public
funds to make up the deficits of
medical schools, hospitals and ply
sicians in caring for the INDECENT
The A. M. A. in its position, official
ly released from Chicago headquarters
yesterday, accused the Committee Of
429 of attempting to discredit the as
sociation to the Government. The A.
M. A. House of Delegates previously
had rejected q resolution recommend
ing that the organization submit
national health policy to the Federal
Government. It indicated its willing
ness to cooperate with any Govern
ment agency on direct request. But,
explained the A. M. A., the Govern
ment had not yet forwarded such q
request.
Proposal Rejected.
The report of the 429 recommending
Government aid when submitted to q
recent session of the Maryland-Vir-
ginia- District Of Columbia Medical So
ciety by DR.. A. Magruder Mcdonald,
District coroner, was abruptly re-
jected
DR.. Yater declared today that I'VE
are not combating socialized or in
surance medicine as q matter of self
interest. The doctors can get along
under any system of medicine" he
said. This is purely and simply q
question Of what is best for the people,
for the patients.
From a thorough study Of what
has happened in the past in other
countries where they have socialized
medicine" he explained, ut is shown
socialized medicine has not led to an
increase in benefits to the patients"
Three definite proposals whereby
'tsmall wage earners" may help to
relieve their financial medical care
problems, were proposed by DR.. Yater.
First, he suggested these small wage
oarners could use to much greater
extent the facilities of the society's
dental and medical service bureau,
which helps patients to budget their
bills for medical care.
Second, he recommended that peo-
pie use the services of Group Hospital
i1ation, Inc, here in Washington more
fully.
Third, he suggested that the public
could well develop and use "health
savings plans" for meeting medical
emergencies.