Evening star., 1951-12-28
Group Medical
Rates Going Up;
Benefits Added
Increase Effective
March |; Treatment
At Offices Provided

Increased rates for Group Hos
pitalization and Medical Service
participants will become effective
March / to match rising medical
costs. and some benefits have been
added.
The announcement of the
higher rates came yesterday from
Joseph H. Hines. president OF
Group disqualification, Inc. blue
Cross, and DR.. Charles Stanley
White. president of Medical Serv-
ice (Blue Shield.
The new rates will be as follows:
Hospital service, individual con-
tract, $1.70 a month (ircrease of
40 centS); family contract. $3.70
Gncrease of 70 cents Surgical
service, individual contract, 81
(same as at present.; family con-
tract. $500 increase of SO cents) {.
Office Procedures Provided.
Mr.. Hines declared:
Each time the cost of hospital
care has advanced, the value of
group disqualification service bene-
fits has automatically increased
for its subscribers. This protec-
ton against the constantly rising
hospital costs has proved to be
of great value to our subscribers
during the II years our non-profit
plan has been in operation"
DR.. White said with the higher
rates for surgical service will go
broader benefits for subscribers
and the institution of a limited
office care program which will
provide for a number of surgical
procedures which may be per-
formed in physicians office
rather than a hospital.
Some of the features of the new
group disqualification service are
as follows:
When a subscriber is admitted
to participating hospital, 81 days
of hospital care will be provided
with full service benefits in semi
private accommodations, plus 180
additional days with an allowance
of SIS a day-a total of 201 ben
eft days for each confinement.
Benefit days will be fully renewed
go days after discharge from the
hospital but readmission to the
hospital within 80 days shall be
considered one confinement.
Protection Extended.
A participant may, for the first
time, enjoy the protection of serv-
ice benefits while he is away from
the Washington area. When the
subscriber is admitted to one of
the $500 hospitals over the Ma
ton that participate in this pro-
gram, he will receive the benefits
lue him in that hospital.
If away from the area and con-
fined to one of the few non-par-
hospitals. the sub
scriber will get increased allow
ance that range from a maximum
of S21 for the first day of hospital
care to S274 for 81 days.
Under the new surgical services
to be offered, a subscriber to
Medical Service may be treated at
a physicians Office. instead of the
for the following: Emer-
gency treatment for fractures and
dislocationS; superficial tumors
and cysts; hemorrhoids, external
thrombosis; Suturing lacerations
Cup to S15); nasal polyp removal;
removal; probing tear
duct GnitiaD. and circumcision.
Income Ceilings Lifted.
The surgical plan also will in
crease the income levels which
determine whether the subscriber
is entitled to the benefits without
additional charge by the physi-
clan.
The benefits will cover in full
the physicians charge for services
rendered if the subscriber is a
single participant and his income
does not exceed $4,000 and a fam
lily participant if the family in
come G0eS not eyeeed e5 6nn