Evening star., 1955-01-12
u. 5. Unveils
Health Plan for
It's Employees
Workers Would Poy
$l04 AnnuoIly for
FumiIy coveroge
BY Joseph YOUNG

n COiIlpIetlcuSIVe ucalLL1 insure
ance coverage plan for Govern.
ment workers and their families
which would cost the employees
$l04 q year. with the Govern
ment contributing $50 annually.
was unveiled by the Civil Sery-
ice Commission today.
The csc said President Eisen-
hover will soon send the plan to
Congress in the folni Of pro.
posed legislation. The President
mentioned the health insurance
proposal in his pay message to
Congress yesterday. but did not
give details.
Under the plan single en-
ployes with no dependents would
pay $39 year for coverage, with
the Government contributing up
to $3.50 annually.
More than 1.8 million Federal
workers together with their
families would be eligible under
the voluntary program. includ-
ing 100000 Federal workers In
the Washington area and all Dis
trict government employees.
Option Provided.
Employees will have the option
of choosing the standard plan
offered by the Government or Of
retaining or joining such pri-
yate plans as the Blue Cross or
Blue Shield or those offered by
employe organizations.
In all cases. including the
private plans, the Government
would contribute one-third Of
the cost up to 50 per biweekly
pay period for employees with
dependents, and up to rs cents
per biweekly pay period for sim
gle employees. Employees would
pay the remainder Of the cost
through payroll deductions.
The entire program would bs
underwritten by Blue Cross, Blue
Shield and the commercial In.
surance companies which do this
kind Of business, CSC ofiicialg
said.
Under the proposed program,
employees who retire from the
Government, either for disability
or after Is years Of service, could
continue 70 receive health In.
surance projection. provided they
authorized deductions from their
annuity checks.
No Examinations Necessary.
In all cases no medical exam
nations would be necessary for
employees and their families 70
come in under the program.
csc Chairman Philip Young
said that at least 100000 Fed
eral employees will have to sign
UP for the program in order for
it to go into effect. He esti.
mated the total cost Of the pro.
gram at $55 million a year.
Here is the standard plan pro-
posed by the administration for
Government workers:
l. Hospital - Reimbursement
for the actual amount charged
for room and board up to $i2
a day for a maximum Of 20 days.
Reimbursement for the cost Of
other hospital services such as
laboratory examinations and the
use Of operating and surgical
treatment rooms UP to maximum
Of $240.
2. Surgical-Re Reimbursement Of
expenses incurred for surgical
operations according to q sched-
ule to be established by the
commission and ranging up to
a maximum of 5000 for the most
serious operations.
3. Maternity - Reimbursement
for hospital expenses and ply
sician's charges incurred for
maternity of q female employe
or the insured wife Of a male
employe UP TO $3.50 for any one
maternity.
4. In-hospital - Reimburse.
ment, while in the hospital, for
physicians charges UP to So per
day with maximum Of 10 days.
5. Out-of- hospital - Reirn-
bursement OF expenses accord.
ing to q schedule TO be estab.
lished by the commission for OUT
of-hospital ambulatory diagnos-
tic x-ray examinations and
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