Montana labor news., 1944-03-30

fications to meet, he does not have to be
a politician, he does not have to even
know a politician, he has to pass a state
medical examination of some type now
to get a state license to practice, having
this state license automatically qualities
him to practice under the Wagner-Mur-
ray bill. Perhaps you are wondering
about the exceptions referred to in Para
graph 4. This is a provision to protect
the patient from quack specialists, and
again I quote Section 905, Paragraph 4,
Services which shall be deemed to be
specialist services shall be those so desig-
mated by the surgeon-general, and the
practitioners from among those included
in Paragraph l above who shall be
qualified as specialists and entitled to
the compensation provided for specialists
shall be those so designated by him as
qualified to furnish such specialist serv-
ices and only with respect To the par
ticular class or classes of specialist serv-
ices he shall determine for each UGH
specialist, in %accordane with general
standards previously prescribed by him
after consultation with the council and
utilizing standards and Qualifications de-
veloped by competent professional agen-
cies." Unquote. 1t must be recognized
from this that the sponsors Of this bill
had in mind the INSCRIPTIONS quack who
is least qualified to practice anything,
attempting to foist himself upon the
public as a specialist. Certainly anyone
qualified to specialize in any branch OF
medicine could not object to proving that
they were specialists in order that they
receive the fee Of a specialist. There is
absolutely nothing in the bill that would
prevent any doctor from practicing as a
regular practitioner regardless Of race,
creed, color, religion or politics. A state
license which is now required is the only
requirement, but a doctor could not col
lect specialist fees unless he could prove
he was a specialist, in other words, he
could practice but could only collect for
regular service. Incidentally, the council
referred to is the National Advisory
Medical and Hospital Council set up by
the Act, Section 904-A, and again I
quote, There is hereby established a
national advisory medical and hospital
council, preferred to as the counciD, to
consist of the surgeon-general as chair
man. and sixteen members to be appoint
ed by the surgeon-general. The sixteen
appointed members shall be selected from
panels of names submitted by the pro-
fessional and other agencies and organi-
cations concerned with medical services
and education and with the operation of
hospitals and from among other persons,
agencies or organizations informed on the
need for or provision Of medical, hospital
or related services and benefits IN
quote. 1t would seem from this particu-
la rsection that an honest attempt is
made by the sponsors Of the bill to set
up a council of seventeen highly qualified
medical men to establish standards which
a doctor would have to measure up to
before he would be allowed to charge
specialist fees. Perhaps the doctors do
not like that, but. certainly nothing could
be fairer.
I think from the foregoing that it
must be pretty clear that a doctor does
not have to be a politician to serve under
the Wagner-Murra bill, since the only
qualification he has to have is the state
license which is now a requirement under
state law. So let us see what the bill
says about your right to select your own
doctor. Section sos, paragraph 2. Every
individual entitled to receive as a benefit
services from a physician shall be per
mitted to select, from among those desig-
mated in Paragraph Cd of this section,
those from whom he shall receive such
services, except specialist services, subject
to the consent of the practitioner select
ed, and to change such selection in ac-
cordance with such rules and regulations
as may be prescribed" When anyone
attempts to tell you that some bureau
crat or politician is going to select your
doctor for you, ask them to show you
anything in the bill that even infers that
anyone will make a selection for you.
The bill as quoted above specifically
specifies that you select your own doc
tor, Of course if the doctor you select
refuses to serve you there is no provision
to force him to serve you any more than
there is such a provision now. Even in
the event the doctor you select refuses
to serve you. just as they are privileged
to do now, you still are free to select
another doctor of your choosing.
Taking issue with the American Medi-
cal associations opposition to the Wag-
ner-Murray bill, the general principals
of the medical and disqualification pro-
visions of the bill we're approved by the
physicians forum, a national organiza-
ton with a membership of more Than
$50 physicians of highest rank in pro-
fessional attainment, founded in 1889 to
study medical care. The basic concept
of the bill should not only be accepted,
but actively supported by all physicians,
the physicians forum declared. This
concept is that sickness has profound
economic and social consequences and
that measures for its prevention and
treatment are therefore the concern of
the entire community as well as Of the
doctors.
The bill comes to grips with the funda-
mental issue Of economies which is at
the core of the entire problem of i'm
proving distribution Of medical service.
Recognizing that scientific advances have
so increased the costs of modern medi-
cal care that it is beyond the reach Of
most people, the authors Of the bill
rightly declare that only through COM
pulsory health insurance on a national
scale can these costs be met. Compul-
sorry federal health insurance through
social security payments is at present
the most practical and soundest financial