Evening star., 1944-02-27
Continued From Page C-1.)

fled for care by contributions made
in their behalf by public welfare
agencies.
The Surgeon General of the United
States would administer the techni-
cal and professional aspects of the
program. The Social Security
Board would supervise the finances
and social security terms OF the bill
In directing the health insurance
program the Surgeon General would
be assisted by an advisory council
consisting Of Is representatives OF
the medical profession and inter-
ested lay groups.
To finance the entire social in
surance program incorporated in
the measure, all payrolls would be
taxed II per cent, with employer
and employe each contributing 6
per cent. This would go into a
social insurance trust fund, and
one-fourth of the total-an esti-
mated $4,000, ,000, 900 a year, or about
the size of the Nations present an
nual private medical bill-would be
earmarked for the medical care and
disqualification part of the overall
program.
Pay Plan Left to Doctors.
The bill does not set up the
method of paying insurance doctors.
leaving this up to the medical pro-
fession. 1t could establish remuner-
alton on fee basis. by capitation
dn which doctors would be paid on
the basis OF the number of patients
treated, salary, or by combination
of these methods.
Proponents of the bill point out
that If its health insurance pro-
visions are revolutionary" or
"communistic," as critics contend
then Great Britain, which has had
national compulsory health insur-
ance since 1912, went Bolshevik five
years before the U. S. S. r. did. It is
also pointed out that Denmark
Norway, Austria and New Zealand
all have similar health insurance
laws.
Proponents also emphasize that
the pending bill would merely ex-
tend principle the country already
had adopted in compulsory old-age
insurance, that it would consolidate
all existing Federal social security
legislation, and add to it the new
types of insurance
They believe intensely that not
only the public at large, but the
profession as we'll. would be
eminently satisfied with the plan OF
health insurance embodied in the
administration bill If it is given q
fair trial. 1t Is argued that the
plan was modelled largely
upon the system of medical insur-
ance in operation in the United
Kingdom for more than a genera
ton, and that experience under the
British system changed the attitude
OF British medical men from rabid
hostility at the start to one of warm
at the present time.
When World War II broke out in
1889, over 21,OOo, 900 British sub
jects enjoyed protection under the
health and invalidity insurance
statute adopted in 1911. Early in
1912 health insurance in the United
Kingdom was extended to cover
some half million white collar
workers earning between $83 and
$40 q month. Participation in the
health insurance plan is now COM
pulsory for all workers between the
ages Of IA and IS, except those doing
nonmanual labor and earning over
$40 = month. self-supported per.
sons are not covered. The Bever-
idge report recommended protection
for dependents OF insured workers
but no action has been taken on It
thus far.
Dental, optical and specialist serv-
ices and disqualification are. not in
cluded in the British plan. All but
a small percentage of insured per-
sons select their own general prac-
titioners; those who do not wish to
do so are assigned to a doctor by
the county health insurance COM
mittee. Persons wishing to change
physicians are allowed to do so UP
to four times year without seek
ing special permission: about 80
per cent Of such changes are caused
BY the removal Of clients to new
hoAhtiaG