Evening star., 1948-09-08

Will nave the proper conditions under which
they can operate successfully Those conditions
have not existed since OPA
QUINTIN M. SANGER.
Health Featherbeds and Floors
70 the Editor Of The Star:
Ever since the cynical New Deal antitrust
prosecutions, The Star has urged doctors to
heal their vulnerable social weakness This Is
the lag between present professional perfection
and similar progress In medical economies In
medical economics we seem never to get past
the laissez faire of ethical competition and
unstinting professional philanthrophy. Twice
this unplanned method permitted a desperately
Ill Nation to survive exhausting wars and de-
pressions without adding one penny to our
debt But for our future need this is not
enough. We still must pay our own way.
Commenting upon President Trumans en-
phatlc Endorsement of compulsory health in
surance, The Star again reminds us that this
controversial program contains elements of
fair challenge to our social conscience. Doctors
should not remain passive while political
opiates are substituted for economic stabilza-
ton OF the deficit-spending healing arts. Our
patients trust us to assume responsible leader
ship in developing solvent ways and means to
repay the bankruptcy costs of their basic
health security. Most unwisely, we have per-
mitted the politician to usurp that leadership
through our default.
Harmless caricature helpfully may explain
organized medicines determined dissent from
Candidate Trumans oft-rejected views on
health insurance. The Republicans conceive
national health insurance to be in the nature
OF floor. Since the New Deal, Democrats
conceive IT, N ipvi
bureaucratic paternalisn. essesss
Democrats After Votes.
The Democratic concept obviously has more
voter appeal. Candidate Truman already has
applied the featherbed idea to production,
wages and prices. The left wing of the New
Deal was first to apply it to national health
insurance. They conceived Of health insur-
ance as the au-encompassing featherbed for
the forgotten man. Even they only remem-
bered him at election time. But once he was
IN featherbed, they figured he would not
resent being forgotten. The New Deal medi-
cinemen designed their featherbed for the
unwashed with his clothes on. Whether he
had dandruf or broken leg he had undisputed
title to unexhaustable benefits The less he
had, the more he was promised. Once in the
ieatherbed of tax subsidized bureaucracy there
the grateful dead were expected to rise and
VOTE
At bankrupting cost every one was expected
to subsidize the featherbed by payroll deduc-
tions and employer contributions That is why
properly 1t Is called compulsory insurance. But
every taxpayer was not eligible for the blank
check benefits. This undisputable fact made
the cynical wonder how New Dealers could
claim such discriminatory largesse to be ma
tional in character This tax subsidized
featherbed is only for the elect Candidate
truman has just admitted that in the begin
ming only workers and their dependents now
covered by social security can expect to enioy
his featherbed. For the rest of us exhausted
taxpayers it is a 10-year wait. If Mr. Trumans
party is no more successful in the next 10
years than it was in the last 10 when his party
was in dictatorial control-then the featherbed
may be our cofnn. But by happy coincidence
enough grateful voters Immediately would
benefit to help Candidate Truman featherbed
his present political depression
Republicans Neglect the Solvent.
Republican strategists conceive national
health security to be a floor But there are
floors and floors. Unless Candidate Dewey
attempts major redesigning, the Republican
noor will be as fimsy as a national social
welfare foundation as Mr.. Truman's featherbed
To date Senator Taft Is the only responsible
Republican leader to disclose a f1oor-plan for
national health insurance. He would design
that floor only for the INDECENT and under
privileged. The solvent taxpayer would be
obliged to continue providing their own No
provision is made by national cooperation for
the unpredictable cave-in of the floor of the
seemingly solvent and secure. Senator Taft
forgets that misfortune and health hazards
can bankrupt even the secure and the privi-
legged.
This means that as a political engineer Cam
dldate Dewey must design dependable floor
which will protect all OF us from economic
cave-ins resulting from the bankrupting bur-
dens of health hazards. Taxpayers repeatedly
have voiced their reasonable specifications for
such dependable floor of basic health security
1t should be in the form Of low-cost nom
cancellable, non-selective risk-sharing prepay
able national health security insurance. All
equitably should share in its scientifically de-
termined fair cost. All should share its profit
able economic blessings and health security.
THOMAS E. MATTINGLY, NJ D.
Too Nervous About the Weather?
To the Editor Of The Star:
In your columns recently I read, More than
half million calls were made for the recorded
weather report from midnight Thursday to mid
night Sunday" For the "A hours beginning
midnight Thursday, 10000 calls were made
once had an English nurse who claimed that
she did not allow children to pay much atten-
ton to the weather. She held that: at made
for instability OF character" And now does
this or does It not just 60 to show what Is the
matter With us7 HELEN A. coLHoUN.-