The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1944-06-30

No. The term "socialiZed medicine
has been loosely used for a number o
years to describe any changes in thu
physician, free dental services to al
children, and additional dental care
to the extent that Canadian denta
facilitiec are available We believe
that the bill should provide denta
and nursing care at least equal to the
Canadian proposals.
7. Hospitals and Medical Facilities
There are large sections of the United
States without hospitals, health cen
tiers or other facilities necessary for
providing adequate medical care. This
is particularly true of rural areas in
the United States. Appropriations or
grants for hospital and health center
construction are, therefore, urgently
required to supplement the provisions
of the bill 1t should be noted that
Senator Wagners National Bill Is.
1920, 10Th Cong, LIST Sess., 1880 pro-
posed that federal grants be made for
general hospital construction totaling
$3.50, 100000 for the first three years.
This was only fraction Of the mon
eys required to construct needed hos
pitfalls throughout the country. If the
bill is not amended explicitly to au-
thorize the necessary funds for this
purpose, supplementary legislation will
be required.
s. Administration. Two advisory
councils are provided by the bill,
whose functions involve some duplica-
ton. Both councils are, however,
merely advisory and are without pow
en- We appreciate that actual admin
istration must be vested in full-time
government officers. But this is not
inconsistent with the vesting of policy
making power in an administrative
body, haeded by the Surgeon General,
the members of which represent the
general public interest as we'll as
those who receive and those who fur
nish services. This would include
employer, labor, consumer and med
ical professional representation. This
is independent of the technical profess
sional advisory boards which should
have the power to determine purely
technical questions relating to stand
ards of care and treatment. The re-
sponsible participation of local phys
icians, hospitals employers and en-
ployees in the administration of their
local services, under national stand
ards, might be more explicitly pro-
vided, although the bill clearly indi-
Gates a legislative intent to provide
such local participation.
B. Cash Disability Benefits.
1. The Definition of permanent
Disability" is too Limited Under the
bill, a permanently disabled person
could not receive benefits if he had an
earning capacity of more than one
third of his previous earning capacity.
We believe that, if permanently dis
abled person has an earning capacity
which is less than the amount of dis
ability benefits, it would be socially
desirable that he be permitted to
work without FORGETTING such benefits, |
but that disability benefits should |
hen be limited to the difference be- |
.ween actual earnings and the amount |
If the benefits.
2. The Duration of Temporary Dis
ability Benefits. There is no justiff-
,ation in principle for limiting the
duration of these benefits to an arbi-
rary period of rs weeks. A person
disabled, whose disability
continues beyond 26 weeks, but does
lot amount to permanent disability"
reeds insurance benefits just as much
lfter the limited period has expired
Is he did during its term. We there
ore urge that the duration of tenn
,orary disability benefits be co-exten-
i've with the period of temporary dis
.bility, and that after 26 weeks, the
benefits shall be at the same rates
s for permanent disability
3. Benefits for the Permanently
Disabled During First Six Months of
disability. We further urge that the
ill explicitly provide that permanent
Y disabled persons receive temporary {
stability benefits during the first six {
1onths of permanent disability, dur
ng which permanent disability bene-
its are not payable under the bill.
his is particularly important for the
and government en-
loyees who would not be covered for ,
emporary disability.
Next week we shall discuss "Un-
Employment Insurance" amendments.) {