Evening star., 1938-04-05
TAXATION IS URGED.
FOR MEDICAL CARE
Subsidized Research Also Is
Proposed to Meet the
Present Controversy.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.
Staff Correspondent CT The Star.

BY THOMAS r. HENRY.
Stan Correspondent CT The Star.
NEW YORK, April 5.-Tax-sup-
ported medical care and tax subsidized
medical research were put forward
before the American College of Physi-
clans, composed of the foremost medi-
cal practitioners in the United States,
meeting here last night, as essential
steps out of the present mess of
medical economics, such as has been
brought to a head in Washington
by the controversy between the Medi-
cal Society of the District of Co.
lumbia and Group Health Associates,
Inc.
Both Surgeon General Thomas Par
ran and Dr. John P. Peters, professor
Of medicine at Yale University and
secretary Of the committee of 43O
physicians which issued a program
for improved medical practice last
fall. dWelt somewhat cavalierly with
schemes of health insurance, without
mentioning the Washington expert
ment, as Offering no real solution to
problems of adequate care for the
American people, which constantly
are becoming more complicated.
Both saw the way out only through
more Federal, State and community
medicine.
For those now on relief and other
wise unable to support themselves"
said Dr. Parran, I'VE should substitute
for our present haphazard practice
OF inadequate care, or no care at all
except through the generosity of the
doctor, minimum standard of gen.
eral medicine, nursing and hospital
service paid from public funds and
given as matter Of right and not
charity"
Survey Is Cited.
The Surgeon General cited the recent
Public Health survey of the Nations
health conditions as showing that the
present system had fallen down badly,
with half of all the illness among
the very poor.
For those in the marginal economic
groups" he declared. we should sup
plement what they can do for them
selves by public aid in providing the
expensive diagnostic and treatment
services necessary for obscure condi-
tions and catastrophe illnesses. The
same yardstick used in measuring the
need of those underpriviledged for food
or shelter is not measure of their
ability to provide for sudden, serious
illness. The yardstick should be what
the individual needs to restore him to
health and competency He should
not be degraded by the pauper's oath
because sickness has struck him or his
family.
Local responsibility and action
should be encouraged to the extent
that local resources are available. 1t
would seem wise, also to use Federal
funds for these purposes to the extent
needed to insure minimum standards
and to equalize the financial burden
between the States. We are all aware
that for many diseases we have scien-
tif1c weapons of unquestioned power.
Give us the means of using them for
every citizen
DTs IcttTS OutSpOken.
DR.. Peters was even more outspoken
Tor tax-supported medicine, stressing
the enormous costs of medical research
and OF the medical equipment, far be-
yond the means even of the very sue
cessful individual physician, necessary
Tor the treatment OF disease.
1T is my impression" he said, that
the Government alone can assume the
burden Of providing, maintaining and
correlating the necessary medical re-
sources Such a suggestion immedi-
ately raises cries of bureaucracy and
corruption. as if these were inevitable
attributes of our political system. The
medical profession should be the first
10 deny such allegations It is It's proud
boast that the public health services
OF this country have been free from
corruption and politics. In any case
there is no reason to believe that the
government direction would be worse
than the whims and vagaries of phil
anthropists or the promoters who have
the disposition of large funded for
tunes.
Costs must eventually be collected
by general taxation. Those who can
pay Tor their own care and prefer to
patronlze physicians of their own
choice should not escape the general
tax on this account, because this will
not be imposed merely to pay for per-
sonal services, but for the productive
work that makes those services val
liable. 1t is rather amusing to reflect
that at the present time most of the
advances in medicine which the rich
enjoy are developed in hospitals and
institutions through the instrumental
lty OF INDECENT patients. The fees
which the rich pay, however. do not
return to the support of these insti-
tutlons or the patients, in most in
stances, but go to the practitioner who
is exploiting the new medical discov-
cries. The discharge of his deeper
medical debt should not be left to the
caprice OF the wealthy patient, because
there is no assurance that his whim
will be wisely directed.
There are those who shudder at
the thought of Government control in
any province of life, and others to
whom the word Federal has a par
tlcularly vicious significance. Yet all
recognize that due participation of
local, county. State and Federal gov
ernments in the interests of the
common veal is necessary bulwark
against anaechy. These are bold
statements and are sure to arouse
at once cries of socialism or worse
I should hope this company would
not be frightened by mere words"
No Assured Income.
DR.. Peters stressed that there is no
assured income today for the pro
dnceTs' OF medicine-the universities.
laboratories and hospitals which are
creating the knowledge and methods
which the family physician gets free
and distributes to his patients. It
seems impossible, he said, to work out
any scheme by which part of the
patients fee would go back to the