The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1949-02-03
Health Insurance Foes Have 81 For
Every Cent Spent By Its Backers

EvCfy VcHt OPtNl
Washington UPA)-Doctors IN
many cities are resisting the Am
erican Medical Associations assess
ment of $25 against each OF It's
members to raise a $4,000 eco lobby
fund to block President Truman's
health insurance legislation.
Opposition to the assessment
first voiced at a meeting OF the
District of Columbia Medical Soc
Iiety, has now spread to New York
Brooklyn, and Boston, as well as
other cities. Referenda on the un-
precedented assessment have been
demanded in Washington, Brooklyn
and Boston, and opponents OF the
assessment in New York forestall-
ed approval at least until next
month.
Despite the widespread resist
ance. however, the ANA is expect
ed to apply enough pressure to
! make the assessment stick. In an
effort to calm the revolt the ANA
has mailed to all of its members a
letter from DR.. George +. Lull,
secretary Of the Association, ex-
planning the assessment, is design
ed for a nationwide campaign to
mobilize public sentiment against
health insurance legislation. He en-
closed a leaflet filled with the
AMA's well known propaganda
against this measure which is
backed by most of organized labor,
as we'll as many liberal, church,
and consumer groups.
One of the purposes of the fund,
DR.. Lull explained, is to employ
the public relations firm of Whit
aker & Baster, of San Francisco, to
campaign against the health legis-
lation. Whitaker & Baxter have
established a record in California
of fighting against organized labor
and on the side of big money on
many issues.
While the ANA was battling to
collect it's $3,000,000 lobby fund
from the assessment of it's mem
bers, it's stooge-the National Ply
sicians Committee for the Exten-
sion of Medical Service-was con-
Quoting a parallel campaign for a
81 100000 fund to fight the health
bill.
ANA has in the past denied any
connection with the National Ply
sicians Committee, which has been
widely criticized for some Of the
methods it has employed in fight
ing national health legislation. But
the physicians committee in it's ap-
peal for funds mailed to all physi-
clans a copy of "A resolution endors-
ing its activities which had been
adopted at several ANA conven-
tions, including the last one in St.
Louis in December.
If the ANA and the National
Physicians Committee both raise
the money they are after, organiz-
ed medicine will have a total cam
paign chest of about 1900, 900, for
the fight on the health insurance
Legislation.
This is about a dollar for every
penny available to the Committee
for the Nations Health, which is
campaigning in support of the bill.
This Committee has to rely upon
funds provided by public spirited
citizens with no axe to grind, in
stead of upon assessments.
In an effort to make the best use
of its slim funds, the Committee
for the Nations Health has ap-
pointed Chat Paterson, former Ma
tional Chairman of the American
Veterans Committee, to coordinate
its campaign for the health insur
ance legislation. Paterson said he
was counting on the support of or
ganized labor, and the general
public, to counterbalance the ter
rife lobby being raised by the or
ganized doctors. He urged all trade
union members to write to their
Congressman asking for early
action on S. 5, the health insur-
ance bill sponsored by Senators
Murray, Wagner, and others.