The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1938-12-20
Costs Increase

Costs Increase
costly diagnostie and thera-
peutic equipment and facilities
have now become essential for
the rendition of complete and
adequate medical care. The cost
Of complete and adequate medi-
cal care has increased Substan-
tally.
MANY persons embraced
within the low income group in
the United States, including the
District of Columbia, do not
now obtain, and cannot now az
ford to obtain, complete and
adequate medical care.
During the last few decades,
many general practitioners and
specialists have associated them
selves together in group practice
in order to reduce the cost and
improve the quality Of medical
care by sharing their knowledge
and by making joint use Of
equipment and facilities.
Share the Risk
During the last few decades,
attempts have been made to en-
able persons in the low.income
group to meet the cost Of medi-
cal care on q riSk-Sharing pre-
payment basis and thus to avoid
excessive economic burdens oc-
casioned by the uneven Incl
dence of illness.
ITO achieve these objectiveS,
organizations have been formed
in which general practitioners
and specialists engaged in group
practice undertake to give COM
plete medical care of high quail
ity to persons who pay therefor
on a risk sharing prepayment
basis.
Experimentation with group
medical practice on q risk
sharing prepayment basis, if
not DISTRACTED by coercive re-
straintS, may contribute to the
solution of the problem Of pro-
viding complete and adequate
medical care. Many surveys Of
the problem in recent years have
resulted in recommendations
for such experimentation.
There is reason to believe,
and a large body Of informed
opinion holds, that the supply
ing Of medical care in this man
ner and on this basis may be
so organized as to obtain quail
fled doctors and to afford those
doctors conditions Of practice
which are conducive to q high
quality of medical service salts
factory to both doctor and
patient, and which enable the
said doctors to find satisfaction
in their work and to obtain q
stable, adequate net income;
moreover, that this method Of
supplying medical care may be
utilized without unduly affect
ing such free choice of phySi-
clans as Is ordinarily enjoyed
by patients and without involv-
ing interference on the part Of
1aymen with the medical service
or with the relationship subSiSt-
ing between doctor and patient.
Superior Treatment
There is reason to believe,
and a large body of informed
opinion holds, that such method
of providing medical care is less
costly than, and, in many re-
Spects from the standpoint Of
both doctor and patient, su-
perior to, individual practice on
q fee for service basis.
Principally for economic rea-
sons and because it has feared,
for its members, business COM
petition from the doctors con-
nected with organizations in
which doctors engage in group
practice on a riSk-Sharing pre-
payment basis, defendant Amer
lean Medical Association, and
the individual defendants en-
ployed by said defendant aSso-
citation, have adopted, and for
many years have pursued, a
policy Of opposition to expert
mentation with such organiza-
tons, and have taken affirma-
tive steps to oppose their forma-
ton and operation throughout
the United States.
Membership in q medical So
ciety affiliated with defendant
American Medical Association,
and hence in defendant Ameri-
can Medical Association itself, is
valuable to practicing doctors
because such membership car
ries professional prestige, be-
caI1ea dAfandaVNf American Moi