Evening star., 1938-03-20


in this country repeating Europe's mistakes
The voluntary insurance plans group health asso
Citations which are now springng in this city repeating
the old and discreded promises which political
effect in various countries Of Europe when plans we're
launched there ago. told that
they will so improve the health of their subscribers especially
through periodic examinations reduce sick
ness rates them be predicted the utmost
confidence that the death unaffected and that
among the insured group in comparable group
persons These are facts definitely proven by
English experience that disputes them number
OF days sickness in Germany great
and In England twice great before
into effect The contrast between Germany England on
the hand where they have United States
where we do not have striking
In Germany it II person per year in England -
days and in the United States days.
have referred earlier the effect Of health plans
upon the given community again because it n
the fashion at present to point to these groups
valuable Eropean experience
such experiments quite
ca aspect OF their operation which has sufficiently
They Of necessity confined employed groups
when person loses his job he loses his insurance
without funds both he and his dependents
OF oy one OF the physicians OF the community who has
no participation in the health who year
in and year out takes Of his patients they
employment just as he does their years prosperity
other words the association" furnishes care
while the patient has funds but physicians
of the community when he out Of employment Instead
Of being valuable social plans dsocate
and disrupt the total medical community and are
anti-socal In their final results
Significance Of Proposals.
This bring then point which, experience shows is
health inurancethat compulsory under State
control This is the system which been adopted in most
European countries following long experimentation
ary plans Within the bills been intro
duced into most of State Legislatures providing compu
insurance in this country and there has widespread
propaganda influence public opinion system
It therefore important that people should have thorough
defstanding of what Is proposed.
Compulsory health really insurance" in
the common acceptance Of the term 1t differs only in the
element Of compuson which present. source of
the funds for its operation once when
voluntary plans superseded by the compulsory system in
Europe that the premiums paid by the benecaes
sufficient finance the operations therefore required
that the employer Of the insured should pay into the fund
each month certain percentage of his total this
found still to be insufficient the paid subsidy
to the fund sufficient to its deficit The model
laws presented before the State Legislatures this country
during the past two recognize this the require
ment they provide for wage tax roll tax and
ment subsidy.
ought be clearly by every empoye who is
looking avoaby toward compulsory insurance that he will
be left choice Of action when such passed
premium will be deducted month pay and trans
med by his employer to the Government agency set up
to administer the system. Neither will employer be left
choice he must send in the required percentage
roll addition those percentages already required for
unemployment insurance and oldage pensions finally will
there be any choice on the part of epoe employer
when tax imposed directly indirectly furnish to the
Government the funds for the subsidy contribute
to the plan to keep it solvent.
Political Control . Possibility
Compulsory Insurance. its operation requires large
and complex administrative sta In Germany $4,000
required simply to administer the compulsory
system, larger number than there
for the insured To administer system States and
the District Of Columbia in addition large
ganaton Tor employees staggering conception
Not would the administrative add tremendous costs
to the present cost Of medical country
political control and manipulation be unavoidable
The end result would be upon q special
Of the population and bureaucracy
State governments exercising high degree control
physician and patient All that certain class
of the population may secure medical mediocre quality
vital problems prevention Of disease and care of the
INDECENT sick are left untouched unsolved.
The medical profession must adjust
system the people Of this country finally adopt
dereict in its duty it should fail point dangers
evils which plainly in the tendency to follow
Europe into system Of compulsory insurance with
~ 1p191 ss o-0 A