The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-12-01

ClHe Wltflln LfldC state, but no state will honor the licenses of other states, and a doctor licensed in New York can't practice in New Jersey unless he first passes the New Jersey examination. He can treat New Jersey people who come to his New York office but not the other way around. A uniform law to correct this nuisance by pro- viding for temporary licenses has been recommended to the state leg islatures by the Council of State Governments, but it would take sev- eral years to have this corrected in any reasonable number of states. and as matters stand today only 38 states of the Union have reciprocal arrangements for transfer of licenses and nine states require the trans 1 ferring doctor shall have been prac- ticing for from one to 10 years.
 One way to get around those restrictions would be to commits sion doctor in the U. s. Public Health Service. He would then be federal officer and he could be moved into any part of the country.
 HOWL IS HEARD
 To some people it has seemed that ! compulsory mobilization in this manner is the only possible solution to the shortage of doctors now de- veloping in some war production areas. But as soon as any govern ment planner even so much as thinks about this, a big yell goes up from the spokesmen for the American Medical Associa t i o n, which fears this would be an en- tering wedge for the socialization of medicine, the big bogeyman that for 20 years or more has heen bothering the medical profession.
 Private doctors hate and fear so- cialized medicine. What they are afraid of is that U. S. medical practice vii go the way it has in New Zealand and a few other countries, where doctors become servants of the government, work for a government salary instead of for fees paid by their patients. and where the patient pays no doctor or hospital bills but instead pays health taxes to the govern ment which uses the money to provide free health service.
 As a matter of fact there is no apparent plot on the part of even the social planners in the govern ment to use the present emergency for further socialization of meGi- cine.
 The antitrust division of the Department of Justice is bucking the American Medical Association for it's opposition to group health plans. yes. The Federal Security Administration is interested in furthering the Social Security program along broad lines, yes But the U. s. Public Health Serv- ice, which is also a part Of the FSA and whose commissioned public health officers are primar- fly regular physicians, is not out humping the tub for socialized medicine.
 THERE'S A WAY
 If the commissioning of civilian doctors in U. s. Public Health Serv- ice has to be resorted to as a de- vice to permit physicians to be sent into any war production center without violating state laws, such an arrangement might be worked out. But it would be a last resort, and 1t will be for the duration only
 There are approximately 400 war production communities. Pub lie Health Service gets reports from them every week. They pay particular attention to places where there are acute shortages of medical help. Then. through committee or medical assignment, concentrated effort is made to get additional doctors into those areas. To date over 200 doctors have actually been relocated, and the job is just beginning.