The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1944-03-24
BY DR.. w. G. RICHARDS
Continued from last week.

4
But the average per head or per
family represents very inadequately
| the actual burden to any individual
or family, for sickness falls very I'M
evenly. Some will go for years or
even their whole lives with very little
sickness, while others will at times
have serious or complicated Illnesses
extending over a long time or neces-
stating expensive treatment which
will exhaust all their savings and
build up debt taking years to pay.
And though one may be fortunate for
many years one never knows when
his good luck will change, for sick
ness is like the wind, which "bloweth
where it listeth."
Hence the demand for insurance.
The earliest efforts in this direction
were so-called beneficial associations
or friendly societies, which were CO.
operative organizations of people,
generally of the working classes, who
subscribed weekly sum which
formed a pool from which were paid
the benefits agreed upon, often, in adj
dition to sickness benefits, unemploy-
ment and death allowances. These
arose all over Europe and this coun-
try, some, to excite interest, or to
compensate for feelings of inferiority,
organized as secret societies, with
elaborate rituals, gorgeous uniforms
and impressive titles for the officials.
AS attempts to met difficult situa-
ton all these deserve great credit, and
much has been learned from their ex-
periences. But they were far from
The benefits provided
were limited, and the medical serv-
ices inadequate and generally of poor
quality. Most doctors SHE'D away
from them, for the remuneration in
most cases was absurdly small, and
those who did undertake them either
did so for the purpose of becoming
known in a community or expected
to make it pay by additional services
not included in the benefits, such as
surgical operations, for which they
might collect a substantial fee.
Industry, too, began to realize that
the health of their employees was a
matter of great concern to them. |
Sickness in a workman impaired the
quality of his work and absence
would often disorganize a whole de-
partment Those industries where the
or accident rate was liable |
to be high were particularly con-
cerned Mines and railroads were
among these, and either the companies
themselves or the labor unions or
both directly hired doctors, who were
paid by deductions from the mems
wages. Some of these scheme have
been very successful. The Northern
Pacific Beneficial Association, for in
stance, has had for many years an
elaborate system by which their en-
Dloyees can obtain medical assistance
Ill along their lines, with very eff
Gent hospitals established at strategic
places.
One of the studies of the Commit
zee on Cost of Medical Care was of
he system established by the Endi-
Corporation at its fac
.ories in New York state. This was
started before the last war to make
provision for injured employees, but
las been gradually expanded until 1t
includes complete medical services to
10Th the. employees and their depend
,nts in their own homes or at hospi-
ais or as out-patients at the so-called
lealth centers-doctors, nurses, x
avs, and everything They have their
,wn full time staffs of doctors, 43
,efore the war, and three dentists,
md their own hospitals, but also util-
re special hospitals for diseases like
and private specialists,
,aying for these on fee basis. There
S no restriction as to kind of dis
.ase or type of service. tuberculosis,
-enereal disease, mentally sick pa
tents and drug addiction are all cared
or and there is no time limit to the {
eriod of disqualification. All this is
without any charge to the
Employees, the company paying for
IL of it. In 1928 it cost them almost
goo, 900 for $4,000 workers and their