Evening star., 1939-05-15
A. N. A. Hits Action
0fU. 5. Attorneys
In Monopoly Case
Standard Fees for
Visits Discussed as
Convention Opens
BY HOWARD w. BLAKESLEE.
Associated Press scienct Editor.

BY HOWARD w. BLAKESLEE.
Associated Press Scienct Editor.
ST. LOUIS, May 15-There are
900 reasons for going to doctor in
this country and the American
Medical Association today reported
its plans to see whether standard
fees can be fixed for each one of
these visits" They range from
Office calls to postmortems.
The association opened its annual
meeting here with its retiring presi-
dent, DR.. Irwin Abel of Louisville,
striking verbally at two United
States,assistant attorney generals for
activities outside the indictments in
Washington against the A. M. A. as
an alleged monopoly.
One, he said, gave releases to the
press accusing the American Medi-
cal Association of illegal practices
and threatening it with criminal
prosecution, thereby promoting an
antagonistic mental attitude"
The other he charged, in pub
lie address in Milwaukee outlined
charges to the grand jury in this
case, what the Department of JUS
tice lawyers had learned, and the
background of the controversy.
Big Member Gain Reported.
"From time immemorial" said DR..
Abel, grand jury prosecutions have
been presumed to be secret, in order
to prevent antagoniStic mental at
titudeS on the part of prospective
jurymen. One can but wonder If
the actions of these two attorneys
are in harmony with the ideals of
the American Bar Association"
Despite attacks on it during the
past year, the A. M. A. secretary,
DR.. Olin West of Chicago, reported
its membership increased by 2,775
to 1920 doctors
Criticisms were received, he added,
but There was a tremendously
larger number of communications
OF confidence"
A direct refutation" of charges of
standpatism in meeting the publics
wishes for reduced costs was SEEN
by the Board of Trustees in its re-
port on new medical services.
There are now $50 of these, the
board stated, set up by organized
medicines member societies They
try to reduce the cost of medical
care mainly by two methods. One
is giving full medical service and
dividing a fixed fee among the
physicians. The other is to assess
members fixed sum and distri-
butte it to the sick.
THE medical societies." the board
went on, have in operation more
experiments with new plans than
all the proponents of group plans
have ever proposed"
U. S. Threats Charged.
There are now in this country 80
group disqualification societies with
2,500000 members, the board re-
ported
DR.. Rock Sleyster of Wauwatosa,
Wis, near Milwaukee, president
elect, charged Government with try
ing to threaten medicine.
The attention Of this body in the
past few years." he said, has been
largely occupied with threats to the
science of medicine by social and
governmental agencies, ambitious
to revolutionize orderly procedure in
the continued development and dis
tribution of medical care.
Such agencies have promoted an
impression that there has been a
breakdown in medicine as there
has been in agriculture, industry,
railroads, building and manufacture.
We know this is not true.
'We know that medicine, in fact. |
Is about the only major endeavor
which has not failed but on the con-
trary has improved the quality of its
service as well as its distribution
during the depression years.
Chiropody Upheld.
Conservatism is to be the watch
word on contraceptives. This was
announced by the associations
Council on Contraceptives. 1t will
serve largely as fact-flnding rather
than an advisory body.
Chiropody was held to be ethi-
cal by the trustees. Objection had
been made against physicians teach
Ing in chiropody schools or courses.
"Chiropody,' said the report, sis a
handmaiden to medicine in lin
ited field not considered important |
enough for a doctor of medicine, |
and is, therefore, too often ne
elected"
The trustees announced they are
seeking some word other than
"col." (meaning colored) to desig-
nate Negro doctors in the American
Medical Directory. They we're
asked to do this by the $500 Negro
physicians in this country, through
their own organization, the United |
States National Medical Associa-
ton, Inc.
Wagner Bill Discussed.
Prospects that 100000 to 60, O,0OO,-
600 Americans may become eligible
to tax-paid. or tax-aided medical
service was the main issue discussed
informally by physicians as they
gathered for the annual meeting.
In the Wagner bill, now before
Congress, some leaders professed to
see the opening of the door to
major social revolution.
The bill would appropriate $92 ,O00,-
900 for 1910 in six classes of Federal
aid to States for medical care. In
1941 the money would be s103 900 900
plus sufficient" to care for INDECENT
and unemployed sick at that time
coming under State networks yet to
be set up and If they are approved.