Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-11-01
Consumer and Labor
Groups 10 Be Heard
On Medical Needs
A. M. A. Doctors Present
Views for Report on
U. S. Health Program

The Presidents special committee
on the national health today planned
two months Of intensive activity in
order to have report at the White
House by the first of the year on
which Mr.. Roosevelt can base a
request to Congress for new medical
legislation.
With an all-day conference with
leaders Of the American Medical
Association concluded, Miss Joseph
Inc Roche, chairman of the Inter-
departmental Committee to Co-ordi-
nate Health and Welfare Activities,
said she planned meetings with labor
and consumer groups in her search
Tor more data on which to recon-
mend improved country wide med
ical facilities.
DR.. Irwin Abel, president of the
American Medical Association, said
at the close of yesterdays meeting
at the Labor Department that the
A. M. A. committee which he heads
approved lin general principle"
every point but one now on the
program of the interdepartmental
committee.
Involves Sickness Insurance
The doctors failed to agree with
the view of Miss Roche and DR.,
Ihomas Parran, surgeon general of
the United States Public Health
Service, that compulsory sickness
Insurance under governmental aeeis
should be instituted. Within few
weeks DR.. Abel and his fellows will
meet again with the interdepart-
mental committee on this matter.
A far-reaching legislative program
is the object of this and the coming
meetings. According to tentative
plans, the interdepartmental COM
mlttee urges the expenditure of
S850,0OO000 year for 10 years bv
the Federal Government. Although
the officials will give attention to the
advice of the doctors, it was indi-
Gated that they will not necessarily
need the medical mems cautions.
AT the close of the secret meeting
between the officials and the doctors
DR.. Abel and Miss Roche greeted
the press and gave out guarded
statements about the discussion. It
was known that the A. M. A. pre-
ferred that the expenses of the
program as developed to date bv
the lnterdepartmental committee be
borne in large part by local commu-
mites rather than entirely by the
Federal Government.
I'VE have taken up serially each
recommendation of the interde-
partmental committee and freely
discussed both our viewpoint and
the viewpoint of the committee. with
very great mutual advantage" DR..
Abel said. The recommendations
concerned expansion of the public
health services and the maternal
and child health services, improved
public hospital facilities, a better
method OF granting medical care to
the medically needy, compulsory
sickness insurance and broadened
Workmen's compensation.
DR.. Abel said that no details had
been offered on how to translate the
recommendations into action, He
aooed that plans Of action would be
carefully worked out by the COM
mlttee during the coming weeks
after steps have been taken to sound
out further sentiment of the House
Of Delegates.
Other minor" Disbursements.
Aside from total inability to see
eye to eye on the insurance oues-
ton, DR.. Abel said, I'VE disagreed
on several points in minor degree {"
He declined to expand this remark.
and Miss Roche interposed that the
session had been very fruitful +"
Recognizing that the chief problem
facing medicine is the health IA
titles offered to the needy, Dr.
A)ell said:
There are no two values of medi-
c@l care. There should be the same
To- the poor as there is for the rich. )"
Miss Roche remarked:
I'VE will work out a wonderful
program for the country's health. !"