The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1960-12-23
LOOK Magazine Finds


American Medical Associations prop
uganda against national health insur
ance or medical aid to the aged.
In it's Dec. 20 issue, LOOK carrie.
q powerful article which provides al
overwhelming Eyes" to the question
"Does 'Socialized Medicine work in
Britain?" The article, written BY
Edward M. Korry, the magazines
European editor, riddles every charge
that the AMA-the Doctors Lob.
by"-has levelled against the British
health system.
First, the article points out that
president Eisenhower knows first
hand about socialized medicine
because che has been using it most
of his life."
"Also. a number of our congress-
men, all of our servicemen and many
of our war veterans use it, too," the
article declares. every time Eisen-
hover goes to Walter Reed Hospital
for one of his periodic checkups,
every time a senator or representa-
tive uses an Army or Navy hospital,
they participate in 'socialized medi-
cine. They are diagnosed. treated
and bedded free of charge. The tax
payer foots the bill"
Then the magazine says: Gin a nut
shell, that is also what the British
National Health Service (NHS) pro-
vides." Only that service goes further
cit applies in the doctors office
and the patients home, as we'll as
in hospital, and it is available to
everyone"
"Yet our most eminent representa-
tives in Washington refuse to listen
to the argument that they should
share their privileges with all the
people of the land, the magazine de-
clares.
Then the article explains that
the British health system has been
in effect for IL years and every
independent survey has found it
to be an overwhelming-alm a
unanimous-popular success
It's financed partly by payroll de-
auctions. A worker pays 27 cents a
week toward the system, and the en-
ployer adds another 6h cents per
employee, while self-employed per-
sons pay 81 cents.
For this small weekly sum, fam
lily is offered virtually complete medi-
cal, surgical, hospital and other re-
lated services. The only extra charge
is token sum for drugs. The national
treasury, through general taxation,
foots the rest of the cost of the sys-
tenn.
OF INVESTIGATION
"Our ANA is hostile to MIS-"
writer Korry continues. "It has con-
,entrated tremendous propaganda eff
'orts on discrediting the system and
n blocking any form of national
health program here
korry then says he started his
investigation of mis- with the
charges usually made" by the ANA,
but found no truth in any of them.
Contrary to what the ANA claims,
lorry found that British patients
ave a full free choice of doctors ]
AiIlou dOCCOIS are uOI lOTCoQ 10
axe too many patients" they are
not forced" to seek out private pa
tents to stretch their income because t
hey ''are far better off financially" I
ow than before. :
Also, doctors are not overworked, !
ut generally work fewer hours"
han before; British medical stand
rds are at least as high as the Amer
IAN; there are not such medical
buses as "fee splitting" and Gun
ecessary surgery; doctors do not :
omplain of government interfer- !
nce", and they have to keep less =
ecords than heretofore because they
o not need to send out bills to pa
ents.
OST CALLED LOW =
Korry refutes other ANA charges s.
nd then cites the fact that this COM d
rehensive British system costs only il
bout 3 per cent of the gross ma
onal product" in Britain. t.
Summing up, writer Korry says: n
Ia P,-,+,cb hooI+b | u