Evening star., 1947-02-16
Murray Will Revive
Administration S Bill
On Health Insurance
kx the Assoeioted Press

BY the Assoeioted Press
Senator Murray, Democrat, oi
Montana, announced last night ne
wHl introduce again the Wagner
Murray -Dingell bill for compulsory
hEalth insurance which aroused q
Storm in Congress last session but
never reached vote.
His announcement preSaged new
fight between proponents of COM
pslsory health insurance, as rec
commended by President Truman
and sponsors of a voluntary pro-
gram.
Four Republican Senators - Taft
of Ohio, Smith of New Jersey, Ball
of Minnesota and Donnen of Mis-
souri, - already have introduced q
bill to provide Federal funds to
States to increase medical care OF
the poor and to encourage volun-
tary participation in group health
plans. They count on the support
of some Democrats who oppose the
administration proposal.
The first showdown probably will
come in the Senate Labor and Pub
lie Welfare Committee, which will
handle the legislation, but not until
after the labor bills now before it
are disposed of. Senator Taft is
chairman of the committee and
Senators Smith, Ball, Donnell and
Murray are members.
Caused Bitter Fight.
This committee is the successor
to last sessions Education and La
Dor Committee of which Senator
Murray was chairman and Senator
Taft the ranking Republican. A
bitter fight developed between the
two when that committee held hear
ings on the Wagner -Murray-Dingell
bill-by Senators Murray and Wag-
ner, Democrat, of New York, and
Representative Dingen, Democrat,
of Michigan.
The fundamental issue is the pro-
posal supported by President Roose-
welt and later by President Truman
to cover all wage earners, except
Federal and State and railroad en-
ployes, and their dependents, with
health insurance.
The wage earners would receive
medical care paid for by taxation
in some form. These funds might
come from increased Social Secu-
rity taxes, paid by employees and
employers, plus funds from general
Government revenues. In his budget
message the President said such a
program should be almost entirely
seif-financing through payroll con-
tributtons."
Get Necessary" Aid.
ThesDemocratic bill that failed of
approval last year contained these
provisions:
A wage Garner or dependent could
receive up to go days disqualification
a year with So to ST day allowed
for 80 days, and $1.50 to $3.50 day
for the remaining 30. He would be
entitled to "all necessary medical,
surgical, dental and hospital care,
including attention of specialists and
home nursing.
Senator Wagner told Congress a
fund of $4,000 100000 would set up
the plan and from S1,50o,000 to S.
OOO.OOO a year would be required to
administer it.
Under the Republicans plan
5000, 100000 year would be provided
to help the States increase medical
and hospital care for needy families.
A person would be charged accord
ing to his ability to pay. For some,
there would be no charge.
The aid money would come from
Government revenue. 1t would be
apportioned to the States on a basis
of each States population and the
total income of it's citizens, COM
pared with the Nations total popu-
lation and income. s
The method of figuring each
States proportion is complicated,
but Senator Taft's Office released
these sample figures: New York
would receive the greatest amount,
$13,500,000; Pennsylvania second,
s12, 100000, and Texas, third, $12,-
100000. At the bottom of the list
would be Nevada with $4,000,
Delaware $325,0O0 and wyoming
$375,00 The District ALLEGATION
WOULD be $1074.60O.
Charity Opposed.
Sponsors of the compulsory plan
object to the free medical care con-
tanned in the Republican proposal,
on the ground that it is charity -
Opponents of the Democratic
compulsory plan argue that it is
"socialized" or "federalized" medi-
cine that would place doctors under
control of the Government. -
Senator Murray's aides said the
plan he proposes to re-introduce
will contain the compulsory" fea-
ture which drew the fire of the
American Medical Association, with
a membership of 125, 900 doctors. But
they said some other features will
be spelled out" more carefully, with
the aim of avoiding the charge OF
"federalized" medicine.
In asstatement last night, George
F. Lvll, the medical associations
Secretary and general manager, said:
"The medical association reiterates
it's opposition to federalized medicine
in the form of a nationwide system
of compulsory sickness insurance.
THE house of delegates tof the
association has repeatedly sup
ported every sound attempt to ex-
tend medical care with Federal or
State aid wherever need can be
shown.
The Taft bill would seem to be
an effort to meet the latter obiec-