The people's voice., 1957-07-05

Medical research and technology
have recorded fabulous advances in
the dozen years since World War IL
Almost daily we hear of some new
and dramatic break-through in a
critical area. Many of these develop
ments were interpreted for readers
of THE PROGRESSIVE by Selig
Greenberg in the April issue. His
report showed that the progress of
medical science has been gratifyingly
wonderful, that its promise is tremen-
dous.
Improved therapy and medicines
have permitted drastic shortening
of hospital confinements for matern-
ity cases and many ailments. Many
diseases formerly considered chronic.
or requiring extended hospital treat
ment, are now quickly durable. Such
advances would help to limit medi-
cal care expenditures if other medi-
cal and economic developments push
ing in the opposite direction had not
created a persistent rise in the unit
cost. A typical list of medical services
which could be purchased for 500
in 1915 had been marked up to $164
by March, 1857, greater rise than
for the consumer price index as a
whole.
Since. January 1853, the average
cost of medical care has advanced
more than IA per cent. This is, by a
wide margin, the most rapid increase
for any component of the price in
dex, and factor in the more than
four per cent increase in overall liv-
ing costs.
1t is important to note that these |
price comparisons are cast in terms |
of an unchanging list of medical serv-
ices based on spending patterns of
1951-52. The newer medicines, newer
technology, and more specialized
specialists" are not yet in the basic
list priced by the Bureau of Labor
when they are they will
push actual costs still higher.
One inescapable fact energies:
the price tag on the package
marked good medical care"-al-
ways too high for many families
is growing too fast for most of us.
One further fact should be obvious:
many more Americans could afford
the 1857 model if medical econom-
les were as up to date as medical
technology-and as dedicated to
the general welfare.
DIR. Alan Gregg, an eminent medi-
al authority and vice president
of the Rockefeller Founda-
ion. recently observed that for an
insurance payment of 500 a person a
rear, medical science ''could give a
service the like of which has not
EVER been known, service of a
hroughness, convenience, and ef-
icacy such as to reduce the incidence, ,
he sevirity, and the cost of present .
Illness in our population" :
In 1866, the aggregate of medical
are expenditures in the United States !
vas nearly 18 billion dollars. This y
ear it will probably exceed $40 bill
on-an average of more than 500 r
year per capita. +
Has this high level of expenditure c
or medical care brought us the high d
,vel of service envisaged by DR.. u
regg? The answer is emphatically in t
1e negative, because DR.. Gregg was f
alking about the beneficial effect of a
through insurance, on c
9th medical economics and medical h
In 1857, the American n
eople, beguiled by propaganda of a
le American Medical Association, E
re still recapturing through health 81
Isurance only small part of their N
edical care expenses. D
How far have we actually prog n
,ssed in covering medical risks by CT
surance? W
In 1855, about two-thirds of our a
L8 billion medical care bill was paid m
7 individuals, families, employers, ri
i'd private philanthropy. About one ii
ird was paid by government mill tt
ry personnel and veterans, the five
illion persons on public assistance, OF
e mentally i'll, the tubercular, and 81
Iblic community hospitals and elm pl