Evening star., 1960-05-20
By ROBERT X. WALSH
Star stan Writer

An old-age health care plan
closer to administration wishes
than to the social security ap-
proach urged by many Demo-
Gratis held a slightly higher but
still very insecure perch in the
House Ways and Means Com
mittee today.
Chairman Mills, Democrat of
Arkansas, said only that the
committee voted late yesterday
to have the staff draft a bill
specifying detailed provisions
of the most recent version. The
vote was 1912. Members said
the tentative legislative draft
would be subject to further
committee voting and did not
constitute approval Of the pro-
posal. The drafting job prob
ably will require a week, Mr..
Mills added.
See No Compromise
Democrats favorable to the
basic social security principle
of the Forand bill refused
either to regard the new ver-
sion as a compromise" or to
concede it will win final ap-
proval by the committee.
One Democratic member de-
clared: We're back where we
were two months ago." One Re-
publican m e mber reported:
I'VE voted for something, but
a lot of us aren't sure what ii
was" Most members agreed,
however, that a showdown vote
might come next week.
The committee las month re-
jected. l7-8, a move to consider
the bill of Representative
Forand, Democrat of Rhode
Island. for a program Of hospi-
tai, medical and surgical serv-
ices to be financed by higher
social security taxes on en-
ployed and employers. This bill
would provide such health in
surance for persons IS and over
who we're otherwise eligible for
social security benefits. Its esti-
mated cost would be about $1.6
billion a year. The committee
also rejected. 1879. a proposal
to limit the Forand bill mainly
to hospital care.
Studied Medicare Plan
For almost three weeks the
committee has met almost daily
with Welfare Secretary Flem-
ming to study the administra-
tion'S voluntary approach"
Medicare plan. This would pro-
vide a comprehensive range of
health care services for aged
persons whose individual an
nual income was under $2,500
or $4,000 for a couple.
1t would be paid for by indi-
;Sidual fees of $24, supplemented
by Federal and State financial
assistance which also would be
available to some extent to any
elderly person who exercised the
option of buying health insur-
Ance from a private group. The
governmental cost was esti-
mated at Sl.2 billion annually,
Of which the Federal share
would about $500 million.
No Social Security Tie-in
The new version, one Of sew
'eral discussed in recent days,
would have nothing to do with
the social security system. ex-
cept possibly in connection with
aged person on public assist
ance.
1t repeatedly would cost the
Federal Government about 5000
million a year in the early years
OF the program but amount to
more than $70O million later.
1t would provide for fewer days
of health and disqualification
care services than would the
administration program. 1t
would apply to some 10 million
persons rather than the 1875
million envisioned in the ad-
ministration plan.
Its principal feature, mem
bers said, would give States
much more leeway in deciding
whether to take part in the
program and how many of the
services they would make avail
able. 1t would retain the ad-
ministration provision whereby
an aged person would have to
Nnu tho fret eO5n 0f tko oeeE