Evening star., 1952-07-02
Our Worst Health Problem
City Heads Can Guard Public
BY LiberoIizing Means Test
By Wallace {. Clayton

By Wallace E. Clayton
The Commissioners have 1t
within their power to remove one
obstacle to tuberculosis treatment
here.
This would be liberalization of
the so-called means test" stand
ards. Under District law, the
Commissioners must set income
minimums and maximums to be
used in determining whether a
person with any kind of illness
or disability should (a) receive
disqualification at District expense,
CD pay portion of the treat
ment costs or Co pay his own
hospital costs at a private insti-
tuition.
District Health Department Of
ficials and tuberculosis experts
say that. in regard to tubercu-
losis victims, present standards
are so restrictive that:
l. disqualification is often de-
MED persons who need it but
cannot afford to pay the costs
|at private hospitals or sanitor-
iumS.
2. Insistence on partial pay
from some bw-income families
tends to make conscientious wage
|earners resist needed hospitaliza-
ton lest their families suffer.
Impedes Recovery.
3. Worry over meeting partial
pay" costs impedes recovery of
some patients. sr . - Z
4. Discharged patients often
have exhausted their resources
and must depend on public assist
|ance-relief-until they can work
full time again.
Under present means test"
standards for family of four per-
sons. District-paid hospitaliza,io
cannot be provided. if the family's
gross income is $3.50 month or
more. N For a f1ve-member family
the m imum is $275.
II the four-member family has
an income between $3.50 and $3.50,
Ia partial payment to the District
must be made for disqualification
in District institutions. The pay
ment required from eacn family
is worked out in consultations be-
tween member of the family and
a social worker at the Districts
Bureau of Medical Assistance.
District-Supported care cannot
be provided if the family has more
than $500 in savings accounts, in
vestments or property not used for
business.
Edward K. Funkhouser, execu-
tive secretary of the District .Tu-
oerculosis Association, says the
District is thus telling new tu-
berculosis victim with some money
in the bank:
you may have saved your
money over the years for old-age
security or education of your chill
dren. But now you have this long
term, highly infectious disease.
We won't treat this disease until
you've spent all your own money
and are fiat broke"
Would Abolish "Means Test"
Mr.. Funkhouser recommends
complete abolition of the means
test" for tuberculosis patients.
This is necessary as a straight
public health measure" he says.
tuberculosis is a communicable
disease. If patient needs hos
pitalization, and a bed is avail
able in a District-supported in
stitution, we can't take a chance
on that patient mingling with
well persons because he feels his
family can't afford to pay for his
care"
Although the Commissioners
cannot wipe out a Congressional
order that standards of medical
indigency be set up, Mr.. Funk
houser says they have the power
to accomplish the same thing BY
setting the maximum income
limit for tuberculosis patients at
SAY, $4,000 a year.
This is not an unrealistic
figure" he says. Remember. an
average tuberculosis patient spends
more than year in a hospital,
With today's cost of living, few
persons can put aside enough
money to weather that kind of
financial ordeal"
DR.. Vernon M. Padgett, direc-
tor Of the bureau for tuberculosis
describes the means lest" for
tuberculosis patients as a marked
Injustice"
Tuberculosis is a social prob
lem," he says. I'VE attacked
and reduced-the incidence OF
another social problem, venereal
disease. by making free treatment
available to every one"
Patients Walk Out.
DR.. Padgett tells Of cases where
tubercular patients resisted hos
Ipitalization or walked out Of hos
lpitals because the small amount
of partial pay" demanded repre-
sented q real hardship to their