Montana labor news., 1938-08-04
Counties May Provide
Medi 81 Care
BY Joint Conn :. se on Hospitaliza-
ton and = lical Service.

CA0A AC100aAFt - AANJ ~ RObe@~A~
for workers I lie to provide medi-
cal services disqualification for
themselves secure the same at
county expel regardless of wheth-
er or not y are employed on
WPA, are receiving Social Security
aid or any other form of Federal
assistance, including old age pen
sioners, widows, dependent children
and the blind. But this possibility
can only become a reality where
labor is well organized and strong
enough to make the county commits
sioners live up to their obligations
in this regard.
According to the opinion, Section
VI of Part II, Chapter 80, Laws of
1887, makes it the legal and finan-
cial duty and responsibility of the
board of County Commissioners to
provide medical aid and services and
capitalization for persons unable to
provide such necessities for them
selves This section further de-
clares that, it shall be the duty Of
the board of County Commissioners
to make provision for competent and
skilled medical or surgical services
as approved by the state Board of
Health or the state medical associa-
ton" 1t is further provided that
the cost shall be paid from the coun-
ty poor fund.
1t is the opinion of the Attorney
Generals office that the legislature
intended two separate and distinct
budgetary items to be set up within
the poor fund, "(a) To provide insti-
tutional care for all those INDECENT
residents in need of such form of
care and (b) To provide for medical
aid and services and disqualification
for all INDECENT county residents"
The first item includes the "manda-
tory items" such as county hospital
and poor farm, county physician,
tuberculosis S%anitarium, Insane Hos
pital, etc. The second item includes
expenditures for medical and surgi-
cal care and disqualification for all
those INDECENT sick who do not need
institutional carr 1t is Freebourn's
opinion that these people "if in need
of services and unable to provide
same for themselves, are legally en-
titled to receive such assistance and
care, either from the county physi-
clan, or from a physician of their
own choice, at the expense of the
poor fund" However, medical and
surgical care and disqualification, SC
furnished, must meet the approval
of the state board of health or medi-
cal association and be under the
direct supervision of the county COM
missioners.
Section VII of the same Part
makes it the primary legal duty and
financial obligation of the board
to make such tax levies and to estab-
lish such budgets in the county poor
fund as r necessary to provide
adequate institutional are for all
such INDECENT residents as are in neec
of institutional care, and to make
such tax levies and establish sucl
budgets in the county poor fund a
are necessary to make provision fol
medical aid and services and hospi
~talization for all INDECENT county
residents"
Now, if organized labor wants tt
see that anything like adequat'
medical, surgical and hospital cart
is provided for workers on relief
WPA, old age pensions, widows pen
sions, etc, it is high time that som
thought was given to the subject anC
steps taken to see that provisions arr
made for same in the new count!
budget, now in formation. We mus
see that such b%udgetary allowance
are really effective by seeing tina
steps are taken to provide the neces
sary revenue.
1t is we'll known to all, nowadays
that poverty and disease go hand il
hand and in these days of a wide
spread bare subsistence standard 0
living it is urgently necessary tina
some governmental agency shoulde
the responsibility of at least tryin
to care for the public health. Blu
organized labor must exert all tn
pressure of which it is capable O
government in order to make gov
eminent meet this responsibility.
A Joint Committee on Hospitaliza
ton and Medical Service, represent
ing many of the Butte unions an,
gradually drawing in the rest, ha
! requested that this be printed in tn
Labor News in order that the publ
may be informed and especial
organized labor.
This committee has received tn
assurance of the county commission
ers that they will be given opportu
nifty to appear before the count
board to protest any provisions {
the proposed new budget, when it
prepared, or to suggest such change
j as they think wise and just.