Evening star., 1944-02-27

organized medlclne and potent pres
sure groups have merged forces to wage
an unrelenting campaign against the
plan for compulsory prepaid health in
surance contained in the pending
Murray-W Wagner -Dingel bill to expand
the Nations social security program.
So broad-scaled is the attack that the
administration may take the issue to
the people in the forthcoming presi-
Dental campaign.
Tons of literature aSSailing the pro-
posal are being sent out by the National
Physicians Committee for the Extension
of Medical Service. This active organi-
cation, with Offices in the Pittsfleld
Building in Chicago, properly calls it
self an independent group, but it has
lood-relationship ties with the Ameri-
can Medical Association.
DR.. Edward H Cary, chairman of the
Board of Trustees of the National
Physicians Committee, is former
president of the ANA. A majority of
the other board members belong to
various ANA committees or have headed
State organizations affiliated with the
association. NPC's executive adminiS-
traitor is a layman and ex-advertising
man, John M. Pratt.
DR.. Morris Fishbein, editor of AMA's
Journal, strongly favored the. creation
OF the NPC, and one of his speeches
explaining why organized medicine
needs the NPC was reprinted as a
panopblet apS 6ictrih,1to5 ,p,o,,o ,>l,,.c;
clans. Speaking before the Kiwanis
Club of Baltimore last December 16, DR..
Fishbein described the Murray Wagner
Dlngell measure as perhaps the most
virulent scheme ever conjured out of
the mind of man" and asserted the
proposal, if adopted, would attract "the
25 to 80 per cent of doctors who have
never done very well, but the best quail
fed physicians would want no part
of it."
ANA Is Tax Exempt
With the National Physicians Com
mlttee subjected to charges it is playing
the role of ANA "mouthpiece" in fight
ing the bill, some doctors have Won
dered why the association itself shied
away from open propaganda activi-
ties. One possible explanation was of
fered by DR.. Chester l. Ulmer, chairman
of the New Jersey branch of the NPC.
who, in emphasizing the necessity for
that organization, wrote in the New
Jersey State Medical Society Journal
that the ANA has been accorded the
status OF nonproft, scientific, educa-
ttonal foundation, and as such has been
granted exemption from income and
social security taxation.
"A departure from established prac-
tice,' he explained further, would. in
all probability, entail the forfeiture of
this status. This, in turn, would entail
exorbitant taxation" Lay groups in
terested in the AMA's program there
fore cannot contribute funds to the
association, he went OIL. "As a case in
point, the funds of the (AMA). Council
on Pharmacy could not be kept free
from suspicion if the ANA were ac-
cepting substantial contributions from
a drug manufacturer.
But there is nothing to prevent chain
drugstores and drug manufacturers
from contributing funds to the National
Physicians Committee. Going still fur
ther, some pharmaceutical firms have
offered their facilities to help distribute
NPC literature. One wholesale drug
company has packed NPC pamphlets in
regular shipments to retail drugstores,
for distribution to customers. The
United Cigar-Whelan Stores Corp. re-
Gently sent letters to doctorsic Condemn
ing the proposed legislation as an at
tempt to regiment the medical pro-
fession."
An insurance firm with headquarters
at Jacksonville, Fla, also has sent let
ters to AL medical doctors and hospital
staffS" asserting, in paft: Because this
bill not only advocates Socialized medi-
cine, but also pretty we'll builds up
complete socialist state. the insurance
companies in cooperation with the
medical profession and other interested
groups, propose to educate the people on
this subject"
Various chambers OF commerce and
real estate groups have Joined hands in
the fray, peerlng askance at compulsory
health insurance AS anot..er step toward
governmental RECOMMENDATION And the
National Committee to Uphold Consti-
tutlonal Government, inspired by Pub