Evening star., 1955-02-01
The Political Mill
President S Health Plan
Gets Powerful Booking
U. S. Would Underwrite
Privote insurance Policies
By Gould Lincoln

rINutS insurance TOIlCieS
By Gould Lincoln
One of the Presidents most i'm
portant messages to Congress deals
with health. It contains his program
of ways and means to improve the
health of the American people and
also of great importance-to cut the
cost of medical care.
Indeed a cut in the cost Of medicine
and medical care would be as welcome
to vast numbers of Americans as
new tax reduction. Whether partisan
politics and pressure groups will work
against the enactment of the Eisen-
hover health program-as they did in
the last CongresS-remains to be seen.
The chances are, however, the desire
of the public to get something started,
and something done, will make itself
felt in big way. Further. the Eisen-
hover program, though basically the
same as that presented before, goes
farther.
Representative J. Percy Priest, chair
man of the House Interstate and For
eign Commerce Committee, which will
handle most of the Presidents health
recommendations, has declared him.
self in favor of the objectives of the
President. Mr.. Priest is particularly
pleased with the added emphasis the
President has placed on strengthening
the program for "the early detection.
control and alienation of mental and
emotional arrangements" The Ten
nessean sponsored the present law un-
der which Federal aid is given the
States for this work.
Program Explained.
The nub of the Presidents program,
as it was of the program he presented
to the last Congress. is his proposal to
have the Federal Government under
write the expansion of private health
insurance plans. 1t would, in effect,
commit the Federal Government to the
reinsurance of the privately run health
programs, so that they may be extended
to millions of people. While the Presi-
dent has improved and extended this
proposal, it still remains the principal
bone of contention. It caused the de-
feat of the program in the House in
the last Congress-because the New
Dealers believed it did not go far
enough, and because conservatives. fol-
lowing the lead of the American Med
lcal Association. held it to be an entering
wedge to socialiZed medicine. Mr.. Priest,
Democrat and minority member Of
the House committee in the last Con-
gress, supported the reinsurance plan
proposed by the President when the bill
was before the House. Presumably,
therefore, he will favor the idea again.
He may have some ideas Of his own to
improve the plan. He is convinced, in
any event, something must be done
without further delay to improve health
facilities and to make them available
to the people. What position the Amer
ican Medical Association will take has
not yet been revealed. 1t will endanger
its own position, however, if it continues
to obstruct without offering an ade-
quate plan of its own. The House
Committee on Interstate and Foreign
Commerce reported the reinsurance
bill favorably to the House during the
last Congress, but it was recommitted
and shelved by considerable vote.
Truman's Plan.
New Deal Democrats may come up
with proposal similar to the old Tru-
man compulsory health insurance pro-
gram-which pointed the way to So
cialized medicine, although that was
denied by its New Deal supporters. It
is doubtful, however, that such pro-
posal could get through the Congress
and more doubtful still that it could
successfully run the gantlet Of presi-
Dental veto.
The Presidents present program calls
for the authorization of a $100-million
Federal fund to reinSure private and
nonprofit voluntary health insurance
plans, and the appropriation of $25
million to start the ball rolling. His
message to Congress contains no figures.
1t merely urges Congress to launch
the reinsurance service this year by
authorizing reasonable capital fund
and by providing for its use as neces-
sary to reinsure three broad areas for
expansion in private voluntary insur-
ance." The Presidents budget, however,
provides the figures. The three areas
referred to by the President are pro-
lection against the high cost of severe
or prolonged Illness coverage for people
in predominantly rural areas, and COW
erage of individuals and families Of
average or lower incomes against medi-
cal-care costs in the home and the
physicians office, as well as in the hos
pital.
There are many other items in the
Presidents health program, including
the promotion of health facilities and
the training of the necessary personnel.
But the reinsurance of private and nom
profit health insurance programs re-
mains the heart of the proposal. 1t is
in line with the Presidents philosophy
which looks to private effort, privately
financed. with Government aid only
when necessary. 1t will be both sadden-
ing and discouraging if Congress turns
its back again.