Evening star., 1938-10-09
DOCTORS REVEAL
UNPAID SERVICE
Claims Over 80 Per Cent OF
1887 D. c. Babies Were
Delivered Free.

Faced with prospects of lesislation
for 4 new national health program,
and IN the midst Of several contro-
versies over so-called "sociali3ed medi-
cine" the medical profession here last
night came out with results of city.
wide survey to show the large contri-
button Of free service rendered by ply
sicians to INDECENT and low-income
groups.
High lights of the survey indicate: !:
More than 80 per cent of the babies
born in the District last year were de-
livered BY free medical service.
More than l3 per cent of the whole
population Of the District registered
as out-patients and received medical
free treatment at various clinics OF
the city.
About one in every 20 residents Of
the National Capital was hospitalized
either IS . charity or . part-pay pa
tient, receiving free medical service.
Survey Is Comprehensive.
The survey Is comprehensive, EN-
bracins both private and public hos
pitfalls. It takes into account the thou
sands who were handled in 1897 at
nine hospitals through the Health Sc
curity Administration. This is q pri-
vate community agency operating y
Eighth and streets NV As benevo-
lent organizat ton serving the people Of
the District OF Columbia and adjoining
counties in Maryland and Virginia" :"
The analysis also includes public hos
pitfalls.
The survey comes as an important
development on the heels OF action by
the Medical Society of the District
OF Columbia, which last week adopted
for the first time in its history the
basic principles OF = new prepayment
medical service plan. The society also
has proposed 4 more adequate medical
service program for the care OF the
INDECENT in their homes by the private
physician who would be compensated
by the Government.
These co-ordinated moves by the or
eanized medical profession Of the Dis
trict Of Columbia we're interpreted As
its most comprehensive broadside IN
reply to critics.
Trust Law Violation Charged.
Both the American Medical Associa-
ton and the District Medical Society
are faced with a charge by the De-
partment OF Justice to be laid before
a Federal grand jury here soon that
they have violated the Sherman anti
trust law provision against combina-
tionx in restraint OF trade. Omcial
statements of the department have de-
clared that alleged unlawful restraint
OF trade has been directed in efforts
to coerce and boycott" Group Health
Association of this city. A case Is
pending in the District Court, filed by
three prominent members OF the
medical society in an attempt to re-
strain and enjoin 6. H. A. from en-
gagins in the practice of medicine
G. H. A. was declared legal by Justice
Jennings Bailey in District Court July
~. Appeal has been taken from that
part of his decision holding that G. H.
A. WAS not engaged in insurance.
Results OF the comprehensive survey
just finished are believed to be the
District of Columbia physicians answer
to the general complaint of the Roose-
welt administration In its new pro-
posal for 4 natioanl health program.
tntimating that medical care should be
more widely distributed.
? The position of the administra ton
Was succinctly epitomized by Presi-
dent Roosevelt himself in his message
to the National Health Conference in
July, when he praised the remarkable
strides" made by medical science, but
hatly declared: When We see what
ve know how to do. yet have not done,
It Is clear that there Is a need for 4
oo-ordinAted national program Of &C.
ton"
1898 Figures Show Increase,
The survey obtained here from the
nerve center Of medical charity work,
known as the Health Security Admin
istration at Eighth and streets. a re-
port that the case load Of charity and
so-called marginal cases OF people who
pay something but not AL of their
medical costs increased by rs per cent
from 1896 to 1887 and that according
to figures from the first eight months
OF this year. 1888 will exceed 1897 by
more than per cent.
With the Community Chest CAM
pAign for funds in the near future,
the survey of service rendered to the
medically underprivileged Washing
tonian Is pointed to by the medical
profession As 4 strong argument for
the support OF the "hospitaliat ton
fund new designation In the Com
munity Chest this year.
This fund, which is to be used to
buy hospital care at reduced rates in
the citys hospitals. Is the new men,
Der OF the Chest. 1t takes the place Of
the hospitals themselves. which have
Withdrawn As individual members OF
the Chest
Fund - Buy Republication.
The disqualification fund, as ex-
planned by one official, is to be used
to buy hospitalizat ton for the INDECENT.
much as other funds might be used
by welfare agencies to buy food from
q grocery store for the poor At re-
duced rates disqualification in this
sense, it was pointed out, is an article
for which organized charity operat-
ing through its selected channels paws
less than cost. according to results
Of the survey.
For instance, the review of nine
private or community hospitals shows
that during 1897 the cost Of taking
care Of 7.722 patients, figured at re-
duced rates, WAS not completely paid
for by 4 combination of small pay-
ments Of some patients, and funds
from the Community Chest These
patients spent s2.525 days in hospitals
the 1890 newborn babies spent H.
900 days In the hospitals. Figured
at the reduced prices allowed by hos
pitab for charity and charity
patients the cost was $482, ,sS5
Towards this reduced cost the patient.
paid 4 total of only Sl1s.6l3. The
Community Chest paid only $17s,555
ieAvine an unyHa ia halsn nra ~ e1A2