Evening star., 1938-02-03
GROUP HEALTH
PLAN |NDORSED
Lawyers Guild Chapter
Acts on Basis of 80.
Page Report.

The District Chapter of the Ma.
tional Lawyers Guild last night in.
dorsed Group Health Association Inc,
on the basis of . 32-page report SUBJ
mitted by the chapters Committee
on Government Service, in a meet
ing at the Interior Department Au-
ditorium.
DR.. Kingsley Roberts, director of the
Bureau Of Cooperative Medicine, New
York City, explained Group Health
Association, criticized its opponents
and recommended the lawyers adopt
the report Of their own committee.
The health report was explained by
Samuel Norman Of the committee.
In Its conclusion the adopted re-
port declared In part that the two
essential features of the plan Of
Group Health Association-group
practice plus group payment-consti-
tute the basis Of scores of other plans
throughout the country, are designed
to effect desirable social objectives, re-
ceived the Endorsement of the distin-
guished Committee on Costs of Medical
Care after an exhaustive five-year
study and are supported by many re-
search groups and public officials.
Survey Legal Angles.
Our survey of the legal questions
involved indicates" said the report,
that it would be reasonable, in the
light Of precedent and public policy,
for q court to hold that the asso-
ciation is not subject to the insurance
laws and is not engaged in the prac-
tice Of medicine"
G. H. A. recently submitted to Dis
trict Court here a petition for a decla.
ratory judgment of the court to clarity
the status Of the association.
In its report last night, the guild
chapter declared we do not wish TO
be understood as unqualifiedly indors-
ing all the features Of this particular
plan. It is possible that some of the
legal objections which have been
raised against the present orpaniza-
ton might have been obviated in set
ting up the association. We offer no
opinion as to whether the fees, which
appear sufficiently high to make the
plan statlsticany safe may not in
TACT be excessive. We do not suggest
that the cooperative medical plan is
best suited to the needs of the general
populatlon, particularly for low in.
come groups, for which compulsory
health insurance such as obtains in
England with fees paid by an en-
pioye, employer and government) or a
system OF so-called state medicine
TN which the cost would be met by
the Government alone) may be more
desira ble."
Approve Five-Day Week.
The chapter also adopted last night
recommendation of the committee
on Government service, approving in
principle" the five-day week for Gov.
ernment workers.
Louis B. Schwartz. chairman Of the
committee, indicated there NAV be
some technical questions which the
committee may wish to bring IN AZ
proposed amendments when pendinp
bills for a five-day week come up for
hearing.
foiloWing DR.. Roberts address on
group health, Nathan Margold, presi-
dent OF the guild chapter. suggested
tne advisability of formation Of a
doctors guild" in protest against the
conservatism of the American Medical
ASSOCIATION. along lines similar to those
which resulted in the formation Of
tne National Lawyers Guild in pro-
Jest against the conservatism of the
American Bar Association.