Evening star., 1948-09-04
For Better Health

Although it makes q number of highly
debatable points-including statistical ones
Oscar r. Ewing's report to the President
on the Nations health adds up to stimu-
lating argument in favor of broad line of
action that can be of immense value in
promoting the long-term well-being of the
American people.
What Mr.. Ewing has done in his capacity
as Federal Security Administrator is to out
line ten-year program designed to make
the United States a healthier-and hence
happier and wealthier-land. We are
by no means as we'll equipped as we can
and should be to keep ourselves fit Al
though great strides have been made in
fighting disease and lengthening the span
of life, we still are failing to take proper
care of ourselves. As result, according to
Mr.. Ewing, 325000 Americans die unneces-
sarily every year, and short-term sickness,
Interpretation and partial disability are
now costing us an annual loss of $27,-
000000,000 in potential production and
wages.
These figures may not be precise, but ex-
pertS are agreed that they represent rea-
sonably sound approximation Of the penal
ty we are paying because we are short of
doctors, dentists, nurses, and hospital and
health-center facilities. We are paying it,
too, because we have yet to 60 all-out in
our research work and because great num-
bers of Americans cannot afford to meet
the costs of regular and adequate medical
care. Even with the program recommended
by Mr. Ewing there would continue to be
some loss from poor health, but unless
action is taken, the United States will con-
tinue to neglect itself in a period when
rising population and national security in a
troubled world obviously call for measures
calculated to maintain public health and
productive efficiency at the highest possible
level.
Accordingly Mr.. Ewing has proposed that
we take action now to attain nine major
goals by 1860, the chief of them being Cd
a 40 to so per cent increase in medical,
dental and nursing manpower through ex-
pansion of educational facilities; (2) con-
struction of enough hospitals and health
centers to cover the needs of all parts of
the country; 80 Federal insurance, to be
financed by employer -employe contribu-
tions, to enable people to meet medical ex-
penses; "a a greatly expanded program to
handle mental cases. 80 rehabilitation for
the handicapped, and 90 maternal and
child care. At present the States and To-
calities are spending about $1,219, 600, 900
yearly on civilian health, and the Federal
Government is spending s743, 900. If
the Ewing proposals were adopted, these
expenditures would rise respectively, with
in the next decade, to $1,795, 100000 and
$2,312 100000.
OF course, wholly apart from the costs
involved, Mr. Ewing's program is contro-
versial in several respects. This is particu-
larly true of his proposal for Federal med
ical insurance, which has been bitterly
resisted in the past by doctors and others
who regard it as something that would
bring on "socialized" medicine-a charge
which the report rebuts with considerable
cogency. Taken as q whole, however, even
without the insurance plan, the goals out
lined are decidedly challenging, and there
can be little doubt that the long grange
benefits would be significant If action were
taken in the next Congress to head the
country toward most of them.
Actually, despite those who may see it
as nothing but Democratic campaign
document, the Ewing report, by and large
embraces many objectives that have long
enjoyed the support not only of public
health experts but also of the Republican
Party, whose platform, though not men
tioning insurance, broadly indorses several
of the steps advocated by Mr.. Ewing.
Everything he proposes may not be wise,
but large part of it certainly is good
enough and necessary enough to be acted
upon regardless of partisan politics.
IMPENDING Crisis Over Korea