Evening star., 1961-02-12
Medical Care for AGED

More than has been done in the
past surely will be done in the future to
ease the often catastrophe burden Of
illness, especially for those whose ad-
vancing age has dropped them from the
ranks Of wage earnerS.
If the people Of this country are
convinced that it is the responsibility
of the National Government to assume
the major costs of hospital, clinical and
nursing care for every citizen covered
by social security who reaches the age
of 65-regardleSS Of the individual citi-
Zen'S ability to assume that responsible
ity himSelf-the bill proposed by the
Kennedy administration is probably the
least painful way Of accomplishing that
purpose. 1t would finance the cost of
such medical care by slight increase
in the social security tax.
But If this is to be the approach,
there are at least four major points
which should be clearly understood:
I. Enactment of the bill favored by
President Kennedy would represent an
other major step toward a welfare state
in which huge Government assumes
more and more obligations, and accom-
panying control, in regulating the activ-
tiles of Its citizens. We are not partic-
ularly frightened by such scare words as
e. "Socialized medicine" and the President
takes pains to explain that the provi-
SionS Of this measure do not cover
doctor bills or the citizens choice Of his
physician and hospital But If it is the
Nofionol Govor1, m a11f1c raSTnv ciIailifxy IN
pay the hospital costs of senior citizens,
why does that responsibility stop short
of doctor bills? If free medical care at
Government or taxpayers expense be-
comes available at 65, why should it not
become available at go, or As? Once it
is recognized that it is Governments
responsibility in one case, who can really
contend that such responsibility will not
eventually extend to every case?
2. This bill abandons for the first
time the hitherto prevailing concept
that medical care should be provided
without cost only to those who lack
the means to pay for it themselves
Those who are able, In old age, to meet
such expenses from their own resources
doubtless are in the minority. But there
are great many who can. Why is 1t
necessary or even desirable to assume
that Government Is under equal obliga-
ton to provide "free" medical care to
all of its citizens once they have reached
the age Of 65?
8. The social security tax increase
proposed for financing medical care is
small, quarter Of one per cent each
for employers and employees on salaries
up to $4,000. For an employe at that
salary 1t would mean merely $3.50 a
year, cheap health insurance indeed.
But the social security tax has already
risen to per cent of all salaries up to
$4,000, divided equally between employer
and employe. With the increases pro-
posed in the health bill, and other in
creaSes already proposed or pending,
the total social security tax will have
reached 10 per cent by 1869. For many
people earning $4,000, this means they
will soon be paying almost as much in
social security, without deductions, as
they pay in income taxes. It is time
that serious consideration be given to
fixing some statutory limit on the Gov
ernment's take" on payrolls, which has
already become substantial and prom
iSes to become much more.
4. Congress last year passed and the
President signed bill providing for
grants to the States in a voluntary
medical care plan which is yet to DEM
onstrate its relative success or failure.
There has not yet been enough expert
ence upon which to base final judgment
as to the merits of this approach. 1t is
significant, however, that so few States
have taken advantage Of the unlimited
Federal matching funds made available.
If the States cannot afford or are other
wise unwilling to provide medical care
for elderly citizens in lower income
groups, with this help from the National
Government, why should the National
Government be expected to do it for
everybody over 65?
These and other questions will be
examined in hearings on the new Ken
nedy health plan, which has been
changed only slightly from the one de-
feated last year. They should receive
clear answers before the bill becomes law.
Metro Subcommittee