Evening star., 1949-03-08
The Political Mill
Congress Demand Rises
For Public Health ActionS
But Strong Opposition Is Noted
To Benefits for Every One
By Gould Lincoln

By Gould Lincoln
There is growing disposition in Congress
to do something about improving the public
health-short of socialized medicine. It
would be very difficult, perhaps impossible,
to get a majority Of the two houses Of
Congress today to support general health
insurance program, financed by the Fed
eral Government through payroll tax and >
an additional appropriation out Of the Treas-fc
ury, which would guarantee free medical
service to every one and place vast number :.
OF physicians and surgeons on the Govern-G
ment payroll. But there are many things
which may be done short of such social !.
lied medicine program. And sooner or later, ~
some of those things are going to be done.
Senator Taft of Ohio, chairman of the Z,
Republican Policy Committee Of the Senate,
has put the finishing touches on a health.
bill of his own. Generally speaking. the :
bill looks to contributions by the Federal
Government to the States for medical care !.
OF those persons unable to pay for It, and
to the encouragement Of health insurance, ~
groups throughout the country. This will
be the Republican substitute for the ad.
minlstration's health bill. -
Administration Drafting Bill. =
The Administration, acting through tho
Federal Security Agency, Is preparing o.
new bill of its own to take the place of the
old Wagner Murray -Dingell measure. which,
has been reintroduced in the present Con-,
gress but about which nothing has been :.
done so far in either house of Congress. =.
Report has it that the new measure will :
move further away from the idea of social
lied medicine. The opposition to strictly.
soclallzed medicine law is too strong, as the =,
Congress stands today. ..,., a;
Senator Lodge, Republican of Massachu-y;
sets, is typical of those members of Con-
gress who wish to have the Federal Gov
ernment do something to help improve the
health of the people but who also do not
wish to bring about system of socialized
medicine He has recently introduced bill
under which the Federal Government and
the States would provide equal sums to be
used for making available to persons who
could not otherwise afford them such ex-
penslve medicines as the sulfa drugs, insulin,'
penicillin, streptomycin, typhoid vaccine and :
other similar essential drugs. Certain free
medical services also would be given under
the Lodge bill to persons who cannot afford =.
them-as for example Iron lungs" X-ray
treatments, and diagnostic services a.
The Massachusetts, Senator makes it en-
tlrely clear that he is not proposing
complete Federal-State subsidy for free
medicines and free services for all diseases
and for all persons, but he proposes to aid
those persons in need and unable to meet
the costs. He contends emphatically that
his plan will not impair the freedom of
doctors, deprive patient of the choice Of
his own physician. or lower the educational
and ethical standards Of the medical
profession.
Compulsory Insurance Opposed.
"The idea that the Government must sit
back and do absolutely nothing" said Mr..
Lodge, has always been as distasteful to
me as the notion that we must embark on
half-baked and destructive policies which
will destroy all the great good that has al
ready been accomplished in the medical
field" -,
National compulsory health insurance, will
be strenuously resisted in Congress- plan
which has been backed by the administras
ton In the past-if and when 1t is pressed
for consideration. 1t has been estimated
that such plan would add 3 or per cent
to the payroll tax and that additional ap.
propriations would be required. *
DR.. Paul R. Hawley, chief executive officer.
Of the Blue Cross, a major general during
the recent war and chief medical officer for
Gen. Bradley In the European Theater OF
Operations, in a letter to Senator Lodge has
said he is interested in the aims Of the Ad-
ministration but is unalterably opposed to
compulsory health insurance.
Il am firmly convinced" he wrote. that
compulsory health insurance will inevitably
lower IIle QudlIy VI I1euleaA W pAaeVtee AL 'iiio
country. I think it far more important
that 80 per cent of our people obtain medi-
cal care of the highest quality than 100 per
cent get only low quality medical care. With
other measures far less socialistlc than CONF
pulsory health insurance we can extend high
quality care to all our people. But compul- :
sorry health insurance will force lowering
of quality that can never again be raised.''
The whole subject of improved health with. .
Federal aid may have to go over to the next,
session of Congress, leaders say frankly. It
Is new and vast subject which will requlre
long and intensive study, with many hear
ings The demand that something be donass
however. is increasing. t'ts