Evening star., 1938-12-10
Medical Society
Plans Mutual
Health Service
Approval of Move Is
Seen, With Adoption
Early Next Year
BY HAROLD b. ROGERS.

The District Medical Society to.
day submitted to it's entire mem
bership for approval a prepayment
medical care plan, with limited
benefits to be known as mutual
health service"
In announcing the plan, DR.. Will
liam j. Mallory, president of the
society, explained that to become
effective the plan must be approved
by a majority of members of the
Medical Society. According to pre-
vious indications, however, it is be-
lieved the plan will be approved and
placed in effect probably early next
year.
The plan is limited in several ways.
In the first place, it is available only
to the following groups:
Employed persons under the age
OF 60 years in sound body and mind
and no known pending need, with
incomes of: $4,000 year or less for
single persons, and $2500 or less for
husband and wife combined in
come, 5000 additional being allowed
for each dependent, and in groups of
not less than 10
The cost of this prepayment serv-
Ice begins with registration fee of
81. The dues paid by subscribers
monthly are on the following basis:
Single person, 81 SO per month.
Husband and wife wife will not be
accepted without nusband, s2.7O.
Family of any size, $3.50 per
month.
Must Pay First S..
Among the limitations is one pro-
Vldlng that the patient must paw
from his own pocket for the first
So in medical care in each year.
AS explained officially in the pros
pectus, this point is outlined as
follows:
The first medical service rem
dered in each year to a subscriber
IN the amount of $5 shall be paid
by or for the subscriber before the
benefits of the service are avail
able to him. This requirement ap-
plies to single subscriber and to
husband and wife, but not to
other dependents
( Mutual Health Service would be
SET up as a separate organization
to be known as an association. The
Board of Trustees would consist
of nine members. a majority of
whom must be physicians.
The medical care provided under
this Mutual Health Service would
be furnished by the physician chosen
by the patient, providing the ply
sician chosen has agreed to par
tlclpate in the program.
A physician would be paid by
Mutual Health Service out of the
general fund.
Physicians participating will be =,
requested to agree to deductions of
from 20 per cent to 40 per cent of
their fees during the experimental
period OF one year to maintain a
sufficient cash reserve 1t is pro-
posed to refund these deductions as
soon as it is financially possible.
The amount of medical care to be
provided is limited.
Would Sign Agreement.
AS explained by the official state
ment sent to physicians for their
approval, the medical services are
stipulated in an agreement which
the patient, known as subscriber,
would sign.
Four kinds of medical service are
offered:
q. Surgical, obstetrical and med
ical care, including office home and
hospital call
%. X-ray and laboratory service.
| "3. Services of anesthetist.
q Authorized consultant service.
The cost of services which the
subscriber receives under this pro-
gram in any year" the statement
says. explaining limitations. shall
not exceed $3.50 for a single person,
$3.50 for husband and wife, $3.50 for
family. There shall be 81 regis
tration fee and one-month pro-
bationary period before service for
medical conditions will be available.
Medical service will be available at
once for accidents and emergency
surgery" The second payment of
dues shall entitle the subscriber to
all the benefits of the service. with
several exceptions which are stipu-
lated
Will Be Experiment.
The proposed Mutual Health
Service, it was carefully explained
by DR.. Mallory, is to be set up
experimentally to operate for one
(See MEDICAL, Page A-9D