Evening star., 1960-08-25
Politics and the Aqed

The Senate'S action on medical care
for the aged should meet with general
approval-from the aged, the middle
aged and the young. For the measure
which finally was approved, while prob
ably not adequate for the long pull, is
at least substantial step in the right
direction. And, of greater Importance,
it was a step which was politically feas-
ible at this time
Under its terms, Federal payments
will be increased for medical assistance
to those on State relief rolls and similar
help will be extended to elderly persons
who are not on relief but who lack the
means to pay their own medical bills.
Since this is similar to HouSe-approved
bill, the outlook is favorable for final
congressional approval, acceptance by
the President and Inauguration of the
new benefits on october /. This is more
than can be said for the Javits proposal,
backed by Mr.. Nixon, and the Anderson
amendment, supported by Senator Ken
nedy. Had the Senate passed either of
these, there would have been little
chance of surviving House opposition or
presidential veto.
OF all the proposals, the Anderson
Kennedy approach, in our judgment, is
the least desirable. It would graft medi-
cal aid onto the Social Security struc-
ture, thereby setting up what Senator
Javits described as national program
which at the very least, in view Of the
of Fo all IL,
different parts Of the country, must lead
to inherent discrimination, injustice and
frustrating delays"
Commenting on this, Senator Ken
nedy said he thought 1t would be "most
unwise" to accept the principle that the
Federal Government and the States
will operate with all the different
standards which are going to be set up
in the different States, with some States
participating and many not participant
ing" Assuming that the Senator is cor
rect in this forecast, we still fail to see
why such a procedure would be most
unwiSe. The people Of Virginia, acting
through their locally elected legislators,
may wish to set up standards which diff
fer from those preferred by the people of
New York and their legislators If so,
what is wrong with this? Available IA
cilitieS will vary from State to State,
and so will the cost Of providing care
Why should the Federal Government
seek to impose It's standards, regardless
OF local wishes, local costs and local
facilities?
Senator Kennedy made another
comment which is open to question.
Medical care, he said, should be placed
under system the people themselves
will pay for rather than burden the
Federal and State governments with the
cost. But this is hardly valid distinc-
tion. For the people, meaning the tax
payers, are going to pay the costs of
medical care either in higher Social
Security taxes or in higher general taxes
In the end, the cost will come out of
the pockets of the taxpayers, or, if
Senator Kennedy prefers, the people
The only other way would be to foot the
bill through the device Of deficit f1nanc-
ing, and we don't think Senator Kennedy
would advocate this inf1ationary ap-
proach which, in the long run, would
rob everybody.
Our feeling, after reviewing the
debate, is that the Senate was wise to
adopt the Finance Committees bill at
this bob-tailed session. If something
more comprehensive is needed, there
will be time enough next year. Senator
Kennedy seems to think that the defeat
Of the Anderson amendment gives him
an issue which he can carry to the
voters. Whether it will be a good issue,
politically speaking, we do not know.
But we are quite certain that a better
medical care plan, If something more is
needed, can be worked out next year
when new Congress will be compare
lively free from the harsh pressures of
presidential politicking.