Montana labor news., 1946-04-25
Health Bill Approve Urged
By Green at Senate Hearing
PROPOSAL FIRMLY BACKED
AS PART OF AFL PLAN
FOR SECURITY

WASHINGTON. ID. C.-AFL presi-
dent William Green strongly urged
congress to enact legislation for fed
cral health insurance. He told the SEN
ate education and labor committee the
proposed national health act is part
Of a comprehensive social security
program advocated for Il number of
years by the AFL.
THE working people of America
are not satisfied with present levels
Of health in this country Mr.. Green
declared.
They know, often through bitter ex-
perience." he stressed. tho highly
unsatisfactory conditions prevailing in
the poorer agricultural states and in
rural sections of wealthy states. and
i'll low income areas of III great met
ropolitan c%enters.'
Citing what he termed the shock
ing disclosure of physical unfitness
during the war, Nj. Green asserted:
I'VE. do not feel that a nation can
be secure or proud of its achievement
i'll the health field SO long as this
condition prevails. Our medical prog
ress must be measured by the degree
of health enjoyed by our people. and
III this we do not measure up. Even
if our general health were the best in
the world. which it is not. we should
not be satisfied until it is as good as
it is possible for it to be in America,
and until the last laggard areas have
sections"
People Desire To Benefit From
Wartime Progress
The American people. Mr.. Green told
the committee, are impressed by the
great medical advances made during
the war and desire the benefit of this
progress for themselves. Often, how
ever. this service is beyond the reach
of the workingman's pocketbook.
I'VE do know he added, that the
most frequent single cause Of Deepen.
dency IS sickness. And we know that
the desperate resort to the loan shark
~ @ iHNH lIoii lt utNtSSIty Vi pay
ing the cost attendant upon sickness
and that the largest single reason for
cashine war saving bonds is illness"
Declaring the American worker sees
nothing socialistic or revolutionary
about Il proposal to extend the old
and proven policy of insurance to meet
sickness in his home, Mr.. Green ex-
planned why the ALL does not consid-
CT voluntary insurance plans suffi-
cient to meet the nations needs.
Citing widespread confusion in pub
lie discussion of voluntary and com
pulsory health plans, Mr.. Green con
coded hat the AFL repeatedly has
been accused of opposing forms of
%compnlsion. He recalled also that 80
years ago the AFL was opposed to
adoption of Il health insurance pro
gram.
But our great, democratic labor
o~rganization,' he added. "in pon
to the expressed needs and wishes of
the membership, has steadily swung
over to the support Of this program, to
the point where, in the last national
ALL convention in 1914, it was adopt
ed unanimously
Voluntary Plans Do Not Reach
Low Income Families
Asserting it was unnecessary for
him to discuss in detail the deficien-
clcs of voluntary plans fully covered
in earlier testimony, Mr.. Green add
ed that such plans do not reach the
low income families land they are the
ones who most need health insurance"
1T is possible he told the commit
tee. that voluntary health insurance
continued on Pnge FourD