Evening star., 1952-01-02
For a Healthier America

For q Healthier America
President Truman, in naming his 15-member
Commission on the Health Needs of the Nation
has taken new approach to what is recognized
on all sides as long range problem calling for.
constructive action. His past proposals on the
subject have resulted in nothing up to now but
acrimonious debate both within and outside the
halls of Congress. In sense, therefore, his latest
move may be regarded as a retreat from those
proposals in an effort to work out some compro-
mise plan satisfactory enough to overcome the
powerful opposition put up in recent years by
such groups as the American Medical Association.
What the President has retreated from is his
advocacy of the ten-year program based on
recommendations made in 1948 by Oscar R.
Ewing, Federal Security Administrator This
program, requiring a substantial rise in local,
State and Federal expenditures on civilian health,
has set forth the following goals, among others:
ID 40 to so per cent increase in medical
dental and nursing manpower through educa-
tional expansion; (2) construction of enough
hospitals and clinics to cover the needs of all
parts OF the country, rural as well as urban, and
90 compulsory system of insurance, to be
financed by employer r-employe contributions, to
enable people to meet the heavy. costs of sickness
without undergoing personal budgetary crisis.
These proposals, however with major emphasis
on the third one, have failed to get anywhere
against the Stonewau resistance of critics.
particularly the AMA-Who have hammered away
with the charge that the administration has
been seeking to impose "socialized" medicine On
America.
In his statement announcing the new COM
mission, the President has observed that he has
always been ready to welcome counterproposals
but that they have not been forthcoming In
effect, he has now issued kind of challenge to
the critics to step forward with affirmative
suggestions of their own. Although the doctor
chosen to represent the ANA has declined to
serve because of a belief that MIR. Truman has
acted only for self-serving political reasons,
the commissions membership is distinguished
enough to indicate that it should do good Job
in carrying out its directive to listen to the advice
OF all viewpoints, make searching and objective
inquiry into the facts, and report formally on
its findings within the next IL months. Certainly,
the chairman Of the group deserves the conf
dence OF those who have been accusing the
administration Of wanting to enact "socialized"
medicine He is DR.. Paul B. Magnuson, former
Medical Director of the Veterans Administration
and leading opponent Of the proposal for
compulsory health insurance or anything else
smacking Of the British system. In the circum-
stances, it is difficult to understand why the
fAhatAS PRESIDENT mas pranQed the Wh0le study
project as "a shocking attempt" to play politics.
DR.. Magnuson-who advocates among other
things, the development of privately run local
clinics charging patients according to ability to
pay-can be counted upon to deal effectively and
thoroughly with the problems that the commits
sion has been called upon TO study. In our
steadily growing population, it seems clear that
there are too few doctors, dentists, nurses,
hospitals etc. to meet the increasing needs of the
Nation-a deficiency that is particularly marked
In many rural areas. It seems clear, too that
large numbers of Americans cannot afford regular
medical care or the cost of sudden sickness
involving major surgery or protracted hospitali-
zation. AS the President has said, these and
similar conditions demand attention. After all,
wholly apart from the factor of individual human
welfare, they are of special Importance in this
time of world crisis when our security is
dependent in significant measure on public health
and the productive efficiency affected by that
health.
As a Nation, it is true, we have made great
strides In fighting disease and lengthening the
span OF life. But it is still fact that scores Of
thousands Of Americans die unnecessarily every
year and that avoidable sickness and partial
disability are costing us heavy annual economic
loss in terms of production. DR.. Magnuson be-
HeveS that the new commission will be able to
come up with generally acceptable proposals for
an appreciable improvement. He and his COLI
leagues should have cooperation from all quar-
ters. The objective is healthier, wealthier,
happier and stronger United States Quite OBJ
vousy, 1t is not a partisan political issue.