Evening star., 1949-12-08
Senator Douglas Hits
Sterile Attitude Of
ANA on Insurance

The. sterile attitude" of the
American Medical Association
against compulsory health insur-
ance proposals may boomerang by
forcing the medical profession to
accept some unreasonable system,
in the opinion of Senator Doug
las, Democrat, of Illinois.
His plan for catastrophe" in
surance payments. to begin after
a person has spent S per per cent
of his annual income on doctor
and hospital bills is the type of
sensible" program the ANA
should support. he declared at
news conference yesterday.
The Illinois Senator explained
details of the general plan he
announced some time ago. He said
he expects to have it in shape
next winter for introduction In
bill form in Congress.
Missing the Mark"
Both the comprehensive health
insurance measure backed by Fed
eral Security Administrator Oscar
r. Ewing, and the AMA's opposi-
ton, are unsatisfactory to Sena-
tor Douglas. He described them
as missing the mark" The So
called Ewing bill, generally re-
garded as the Truman admins
tration's program, tries to cover
too much ground, he complained.
"As for ANA" he added. Il do
not question their motives but
they are extremely ill-advised to
take such a negative attitude in
opposing almost every proposal
that has been advanced. I hope
they examine this proposal OF
mine and support it.
Its highly important that the
medical profession support a plan
in order to have it become law
and accepted by the people. I
hope the ANA doesn't keeps q ster-
lie attitude. The public won't
forever take no, no, no. II ANA
doesn't support sensible plan.
they may be forced to accept
something less sensible"
The Douglas plan resembles, in
some ways, suggestions made by
Bernard Baruch and former Gov.
Harold Stassen of Minnesota.
The Illinois Senator said he be-
lievss he arrived at the idea in
dependently and that he has not
discussed it with administration
leaders or ANA representatives.
Explains Operation of Plan.
The plan, he explained. oper-
ates on the theory that insurance
against medical. surgical and hos
pitaI bills should make the same
basic approach as does insurance
of other kinds.
It would confine payments to
the catastrophe elass"-that
is, expenses incurred after a per-
son or family has been obliged.
within a year. to pay out about
S per cent of annual income on
doctor and hospital bills. Thus,
a person with a s3.000 yearly in
come would be entitled to insur-
aalce benefits only On such shials
after $3.50 had BEEN spent.
Senator Douglas said the sys-
tenn would be financed by a pay
roll tax of about l per cent, or a
corresponding levy on incomes Of
self-employed people. The Ewing
bill provides for 3 per cent tax
but covers complete care except
dental treatment. ~
The Senator scoffed at an OBJ
lection that the plan might be
considered State socialism. !" eo@
pie. he said, shouldn't "intoxlcate
themselves with those words as$s
Commends Blue Cross.
He commended work Of the
Blue Cross and similar voluntary
health insurance organizations
but contended they cant do the
whole job
He recommended. however, that
the administration of his proposed
system should be "non-govern-
mental" There would have to be
definite provisions as to fees,
standards and eligibility, but the
plan, to be successful. would have
to be compulsory. he said. It
might be found advisable to have
the plan administered by the
States ito reduce control from
Washington"
Weaknesses Of his plan, he COM
mented; are that it might not
meet the need for preventive
treatment and early diagnosis,
and that it could not assure ade-
quate distribution of medical and
hospital facilities throughout the
country.
AkAA