Evening star., 1962-05-16
Care for Aued

American Medical Associa-
tion have decided that Medi-
care shall be another Bay Of
Pigs. Before the armed truce
ends on May 20, when the
fratricidal war between the
Nations doctor-workers and
our political leadership Off
cially begins at the alleged
senior citizens rally in Madi-
son Square Garden, these
bloodthirsty healers should
examine their credentials. If
they do, both sides will find
themselves in default Of good
conscience and good will to
the patients and taxpayers
they hypocritically profess to
serve.
The key to their contempt
of Congress and their repudi-
alton Of mutual pledges to
implement bipartisan health
security objectives Of the gen.
eral welfare is the Depart
ment Of Health, Education
and Welfare. BY definition it
symbolizes the trinity of the
political humanities. Men of
all political beliefs have
pledged their loyalty and sup
port to give national defini-
tions and standards to the
procurement of basic health,
education and social welfare.
In creating HEW under Re-
organization Plan No. /, Or
ganized doctor workers SOL
emnly were pledged that,
while denied cabinet status
like organized labor, they
would have access to the Pres
ident and the making of
health security policy by Gre
ating the high-level admins
trative and advisory position
of special assistant in health
and medical affairs. Neither
President Eisenhower nor
President Kennedy kept the
spirit Of that pledge. Since the
day President Eisenhower,
with Senator Taft. walked into
a specially convened, extraor-
dinary session of the ANA
House of Delegates and heard
a bipartisan denial of cabinet
status for medicine, but a BIZ
partisan pledge to give it hon.
orable and effective voice in
policy making, there has been
war between organized doc
tor-workers and both politi-
cal administrations.
Both sides in this unholy
war have forgotten their duty
and their pledges. Our ANA
is pledged to find solvent
ways and means to end the
bankrupting initiation Of the
healing arts. Socialized medi-
cine shares wealth. Social
medicine is an attempt to find
solvent ways and means to
share burdens of health Sc
curity every one of us must
face and bear. There will be
many mistakes before success.
On the other hand, our
President must realize that
Reorganization Plan No. l
was not a device to make
Walter Reuther, the prince Of
strikes, walkouts, picketing,
featherbed edding and cynical
maker Of national emergen-
cies, and his agents the exclu-
sive c objective bargaining
group for the predominant
majority Of the Nations doc
tor-workers in our ANA.
Maybe our ANA is recalci-
trant. But in the jurisdictional
dispute over the bona fides of
Walter Reuther's MD, one
would not need a sixth-grade
education to decide the argu-
ment Of legitimacy in favor
Of our ANA.
Thomas E. Mattingly, MD.
y = -
The continuing opposition
of the American Medical As
sociation to care for the aged
legislation must be disturb
ing to anyone like myself who
has regarded doctors as out
standing in their dedication
to humanity and community
service.
It does something to the
revered image when one sees
doctors resorting to the tao
tics of high-pressure lobby
lists. In terms of propriety
and function. there is a ques-
tion as to whether profess
sional groups. as such, should
take sides in moot political
questions.
For the debated question is
not need. adequacy or treat
ment but how it will be fl
nanced.
To cover this subject, the
ANA brings in the doctor
patient relationship. Is It
part of the relationship" to