Evening star., 1948-10-03
Civilian Hospital
CareProposed
For Veterans
U. S. Urged to Slash
VA Building Program,
Use Insurance Plan

The. Nations medical and hospi-
tai leaders have proposed that mil
lions of veterans eligible for free
care in Veterans Administration
hospitals be treated in civilian hos
pitfalls instead, 1t was learned last
night.
Advanced by a committee repre-
senting the American Medical and
American Hospital Associations, the
plan urges the Government to buy
medical and hospital prepayment
insurance policies for large num-
Der of former servicemen.
Adoption of the proposal, the
committee said, would save thou
sands of dollars each year and per-
nit the Government to abandon a
vast portion of the proposed billion
dollar VA hospital expansion pro-
gram.
Nom Service Cases Cited.
The proposal is aimed at veter-
ans filling many VA hospital beds
who are under treatment for short
term illnesses that have no con-
nection with their military service.
According to VA records, about IS
per cent of the 100000 patients in
its hospitals are in the short-term
general medical and surgical" class.
Yet only Is per cent of these &c.
900 patients are being treated tor
ailments that can be traced to their
service.
If beds are available and not
needed for veterans with service
connected" illnesses, officials SAID
such veterans can, get free care
merely by signing statement saying
they can't afford private hospitali-
cation. These statements, VA spokes-
men said are taken at face value
and are not investigated.
While the new plan doesn't even
suggest" that any current veterans
benefits be repealed, it questions
the need for the huge expansion
program planned by VA, partlcu-
larly in view Of civilian hospital ex-
panslon stimulated by Federal aid.
ITUsTdm Is outllncU.
The program has a goal of 100000
beds by 1851. with 81 new hospitals
planned. More than 5000 of the
present number of VA hospital beds
are unoccupied. according to latest
figures-about 5000 of them because
of inadequate personnel.
On several occasions, DR.. Paul B.
Magnuson, VA medical director, has
expressed concern over how the
hospitals can be stated when the
program is completed.
The AMA-AHA proposal has been
submitted for consideration to the
National Medical Advisory Board of
the American Legion-a staunch ad-
vocate of the hospital program.
Asked to comment ON the plan, T.
o. Kraabel, Legion rehabilitation
director, said Legion policy is that
we're for hospital beds for veterans
in. Veterans Administration hospi- |
tals-with the order of priority listed
in the law for admitting patients. ~
There Is possibility, he added, that |
the proposal will come up for con-
sideration at the groups annual
convention this month in Miami.
Legion Group Hears Plan.
The new proposal was submitted
to the Legion's medical group by
Doctors H. H. Shoulders and Joseph
S. Lawrence, Of the ANA, and Gra-
ham L. Davis and DR.. Dallas G.
Sutton, of the AHA.
The committee estimated that a
maximum OF 100000 of the 18.000,-
600 veterans might qualify for the
contracts 1t estimated that each
contract issued would cost about
$3.50 a month.
The plan. a spokesman said, would
not apply to tubercular or mental
patients. Who occupy the vast ma
jority of beds in VA hospitals.
While a smaller number of beds
are auocated for medical and sur
gical cases however, many more
Of the short-term patients are ad-
mitted to hospitals. During the
year ended June 30, for example,
462,000 of all patients admitted were
for medical and surgical care. VA
said. About 62.700 were admitted
for mental ailments and 2740O were
for tuberculosis.