Evening star., 1950-05-09
The Political Min
Trumon Health Program
Now Widely Advertised
Better Medical Core Booklet
Distributed by Thousands
By Gould Liacois

National Health InSurance-the Tru-
man health program-tn sugar-coated
FORMS now widely advertised by the
Democratic National Committee. an ad-
junct, II seems. OF the White House.
Better Medical Care That You Can
Afford" is its slogan, and also the title
Of q booklet which the committee Is
distributing by the thousands
The Democratic national platform Of
l94S, upon which Mr.. Truman was
elected President. says nothing what
ever about national health insurance II
was too hot q topic-and there was too
much opposition among the Democrats
themselves. This is what the platform
said
I'VE favor the enactment Of a national
health program for expanded medical
research. medical education. and hos
pitalS and clinics" In addition, the
platform declared for extended aid to
the blind. maternal care, and the health
Of the Nations children.
At Least One Opposed.
So far as could be learned. the Demo-
cratic National Committee itself has not
directly voted on the question of na.
tional health inSurance-and at least
one member. DR.. r. B. Robbins OF Cam.
den. Ark. has been burned up over the
drive the National Committee headouar-
ters has undertaken to put on for so.
clallzed medicine"-the common Harm
given the Truman program.
II 1t possibly can. the leadership Of
the National Committee, presumably
under the direction Of President Truman,
Will make national health insurance an
important issue In the coming congress
Slonal campaign. The issue has lust
mad trial run-and come of second
oeSt-n the Florida Democratic sena.
torlal primary. Senator-elect George
A Smathers denounced the health In
Surance program. while Senator Pepper,
VINO lost to MIR. SmatherS. heartily sup
ported 1t. However, the administration
Is oent on making free medicine-at n
prlce-an issue In the campaign. How
many Democratic candidates for Con-
gress, however, will campaign on national
heaIth insurance as an issue and de-.
clare IN favor of 1t remains to be sean,
1t has nice sound. but the issue might
be dynamite.
The pamphlet put out by the Demo
cratic National Committee announces
tnat reprints can be had in five thousand
1ots or larger quantities at q lower
cost may be ordered The CIO-PAC
Is also distributing the same PAM
phlet An effort is made to convince the
reader that the whole system would not
De run from Washington-but by each
state; that each patient could choose his
or her own doctor. and that each doctor
would choose his own patients. All of
which seems definitely an attempt to pull
the wool over a lot of eyes. The plan Ia
still to be financed by q Federal tax
and the money is to be paid out of the
Federal Treasury, even though Il In
handed to representatives OF the system
located In the various States And II the
medical case Of the people is to be ham
died IN this syStem-as 1t Is proposed
1t will soon become obvious that patients
will be assigned doctors and doctors will
be assigned patients
Payroll Tax Seen.
The National Committee booklet saws
that health insurance would be paid for
the way workers now pay old-age and
survivors insurance premiums-the book
let does not mention that this would ba
a payroll tax collected by the Federal
Government. That, however, Is what the
payment OF premiums means. A worker
would pay-in this tax-lh per cent of
earnings under $400 a month No worker
would pay more than Sc a month. Self.
employed persons could be covered, IL
says. by paying slightly more-also as a
tax. Employers could match the tax
paid by their employees.
Nothing whatever is said about COM
pulsory" health insurance. But when the
Federal Government. through act of Con-
gress' ievies tax. 1t will fall on all pay
rollers alike. During the Pepper-Smath
ers campaign, Senator Pepper soft ped
aled the compulsory feature entirely, but
Mr.. Smathers called the health ins,lr-
ance program just what 1t is.
The administration has made no effort
to bring the health insurance bill I'D for
consideration in the present Congress
Tor one reason alone. 1t had no chance
OF favorable consideration whatever. The
opposition to the measure is strong
among Democrats in Senate and House
as well as among Republicans.