Evening star., 1946-02-21
Group Health
"Opens Drive 70
Enroll Public
Votes to Admit
Units Of 5 Persons
And Roises Fees
By Harold B. Rogers

By Harold B. Rogers
Group Health Association, Inc, .
cooperative of Govern
nent workers, today launched .
program to extend to: the general
,ublic its prepayment medical and
hospital care son a group practice
,asis.
This was authorized by a mail
vote OF its members at the CHA
annual meeting last night at the
Agriculture Department auditorium.
The service for eight years has been
confined to Federal workers.
BY overwhelming majorities, the
decided to increase
monthly dues of CHA, open menu
bership to the public, provide for
group admissions of members
racial discrimination" and
give people who already have group
disqualification insurance, the op-
portunity to subscribe to Group
Health Association medical care.
Campaign Planned.
The campaign to carry CHA to
the public will be pressed in an in
tensive program, leaders announced,
through direct appeals in all Fed
eral departments, in the District
government heretofore excluded
and to employees of business and in
dustrial establishments throughout
the city. 1t will be carried forward
by pamphlets, meetings and speak
ers.
The new fees, which were raised
from $2.25 to $3.50 month for each
adult and from s1.25 to SITS for
each of the first three children in
a family, will 60 into effect with the
monthly payments Of members due
April /. Dues are to be less for
those already subscribing to hos
pitalization insurance.
Individual memberships, which
have been effective since organiza-
ton OF CHA In 1887, will continue
to be offered to people working for
the Federal Government, but for
new members in the District GOV
ernment and the general public,
memberships can be had only in
groups. Federal people can also join
by groups.
Details Not Perfected.
Details of the manner in which
groups can join are to be worked out
officially by the Board of Trustees,
but tentative schedule to be offered
the public is about as follows:
When there are five employees in
a unit, group membership must be
100 per cent, or 5 people. For groups
of from to 10 persons, 80 per cent
must subscribe in order to Join:
from II to SO employees, rs per cent;
from 81 to 100 people, IS per cent,
and in units of over 100, there must
be so per cent.
Harry ]. Becker of the Labor De-
partment, president of CHA,
presided at the meeting and ex-
planned its new policies. hoping TO
expand from a present coyerage of
about 5000 persons to $1,000 people.
Several other officials of CHA ad-
dressed the gathering of between
300 and 400 persons.
Expects Cost to Decrease.
Mr.. Becker said CHA was mot
now operating on an economic men,
bership level" but that the larger
membership expected would lead
to decreases in the actual cost of
service and an increase in services.
He expressed the hope that the large
membership gain might lead even-
tually to decrease in the monthly
dues, and the attraction of more Of
the lower-level income people into
the organization. The average in
come of members of CHA was
variously estimated by different
spokesmen as somewhere between
So 200 and So, 800 q year. There was
considerable discussion as to how
more lower-income people could be
attracted.
DR.. Henry H. Lichtenberg, medi.
cal director, expressed appreciation
to the Board Of Trustees for theil
support of the medical staff anc
said he wished to be relieved oi
his duties as director so as to de.
vote his time in CHA to his special.
ty, pediatrics, with special attention
to the mental health of children
Hope for Larger Quarters.
President Becker and several
others said CHA hopes to get larger
quarters soon, and eventually tc
buy a lot and construct new build
ing of its own, with clinic facilities
for many specialties. A proposed
dental service now under study was
outlined to the meeting by Miss
Edith Rockwell of the Labor De-
partment, q trustee and forme,
CHA president. She was presented
a radio in appreciation of her past
services to the organization.
New trustees elected were Philip
Wood, a dentist, Agriculture De-
partment; William Warne, Interior
Department; Milton Gilbert, Com
merce Department; Edward Hol-
lander, Labor Department. Helen
Tippy, of Federal Security Agency
and John Lindeman of the ONCE OF
Price Administration, tied for
trustee and recount on their
votes was to be made.
Trustees planned to meet at the
Commerce Department Building to-
day to elect officers for the year.