Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-09

two naval vessels of his COM
mand. On the shore, Capt
Rome intends to establish a
pitai care available in many
communities which had been
without it before.
Nevertheless, it is obvious, as
anyone knows who has recently
visited a hospital, that most
hospitals are overcrowded. In
many hospitals, patients are
iquartered in the corridors for
lack of enough rooms. Many
hospitals are old and not well
equipped to provide modern
medical care.
There is a need, too, for mod
ern institutions for the care OF
the mentally i'll, for the care OF
those with chronic diseases, and,
as ! pointed out in my program
for our older citizens, for the
care of the aged. And I think
we may find that there is both
Economy and mercy in a large
Expansion of our program for
preventive community health
cAnics. which have done so much
to curb juvenile delinquency
help families with other prob
lens, and to prevent uncounted
people from disappearing into
mental institutions.
/ We need to continue and ex-
lpand the Halliburton program.
4. Insurance
/ AS l said earlier, our Amer
Iican society has reached the
point where we should recognize
that access to good medical care
+ is basic human right.
Yet we know all too we'll thai
millions of our fellow citizens
today receive wholly inadequate
medical care, despite the dona.
ton of much time by America I
doctors-because these people
cannot afford that care. We
know that this is particularly
true of preventive medicine. We
know, too, that in hundreds OF
thousands of American homes
serious illness has wiped out a
lifetime'S savings and replaced
lit with discouraging debt.
This is expensive social waste
lfulness. 1t inflicts needless suf-
Ifering, even death, on many in
dividuals. 1t denies to many the
equal opportunity for useful
happy lives.
And we know from experience
that there are ways and means
at hand for meeting these
problems.
Insurance Need Cited
We learned long ago that
where natural tragedies and dis
aster often strike in a haphaz-
ard, unpredictable way, it is to
the advantage of all to share
by the insurance principle the
cost of the misfortunes which
befall a few. The American
people have gone further than
the people of any other country
in applying this saving priciple
to such misfertunes as fire and
flood and storm. Nothing is
more American than this CO.
operative way of dealing with
misfortune.
For a vast number Of our fell
low citizens, comprehensive pri-
vate health insurance is now
wholly beyond financial reach
The vast majority of our elder
citizens cannot afford it, and
these are people who need this
protection most. Careful studies
show. too, that such insurance
is characteristically unavailable
as a matter Of practical eco
Monies. to families with a more
than average number Of chill
dren, particularly when the chill
dren are young and when med
ical care is most needed for
them. / strongly suspect, al
though 1 find no specific data
TO prove it. that there is a high
correlation between inadequate
medical care and delinquency
although / recognize that other
factors may explain this.
Facts on Insurance
Lets get several facts clear:
Health insurance works. We
have had enough experience
with private health insurance to
establish this beyond a doubt.
Health insurance need not.
and our present health insur-
ance system does not, interfere
in any way with the private re-
lationship between patient and
doctor which is a fundamental
of good medical practice. II Is a
way Of spreading the cost Of
medical care with fairness and
Justice; II has nothing what
ever 10 do with the relation be-
tween patient and doctor be-
yond the payment Of the bill.
More than 100 million Amer
leans now have some form Of
health insurance. It should be
pointed out at once, however.
that most Of the policies do not
provide comprehensive protec-
ton. They cover. in the usual
case. only hospitalization--and
by no means even all the hospital
costs. Indeed. only 3 per cent Of
the American people. II has been
reported. have comprehensive
health insurance covering house
and Office calls, surgery. hospl-
talization, rehabilitation services.
and 50 forth.
II Is clear 70 me that what Is