Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-06-04

returned only t1hen accom-
panied By self = addressed,
stamped envelopes.
keeps telling others to read
the King-Anderson bill, DR..
Kimble might explain why he
deals so largely with medical
care, rather than hospital
care.
AS to No. 2, there are few
things as expensive as an ILL
ness. Paying taxes for flu
ture benefits is a hallmark
Of our capitalistic system.
AS to No. 3, DR.. Kimble
should re-read the King-An-
derson bill. Is DR.. Kimble
against Halliburton funds for
hospitals2 Is he against vet
Grams hoSpitals2
And, as to No. 4, a boy
colt is q boycott no matter
what 1t Is called. When a doc
tor, knowing he can be paid
by "a" gives his patient "B"
the choice Of paying him or
pleading poverty, he is most
certainly engaged in q boy
colt. Medical society doctors
in this country have been
guilty of such threats in the
past and have actually en-
gagged in such boycotts land
worse) against private medi-
cal insurance plans. DR.. Kim
ble's apology is hardly likely
to encourage them to change
their ways.
Philip Marcus.
Amidst the smoke and fog
about the medical care bill.
I would like to add a point or
two from a physician who Is
actually caring for the candi-
dates for this care, and, items
Of compelling practical i'm
portance.
Although I consider the
Blue Cross plans as virtually
essential in light Of modern
medical needs, one should.
know Of the serious problems
that these plans and those Of
similar purpose produce. Not
the least Of these problems
Is that Of creating a grave
unnatural shortage Of hospi-
tai bed space. In my own
practice I have had to call
four to six hospitals in the
last month or six weeks to
admit seriously Ill emergency
patients, in each instance
having to place these persons
in institutions 10 to 20 miles
from their homes; 1t Is the
usual practice to attempt to
place the person as near to
his residence as possible, 60
ing further and further away
only II the bed space is not
available. It Is well known
to nearly every physician
that much of this over
crowding is the result Of
hospital insurance plans
which remove much Of the
incentive for either the doc
tor or the patient to care for
his problem at home. In
deed, in Maryland there have
been threats by State author
tiles to take over control of
the apportionment OF bed
space unless physicians COM
PEELED patients to use less Of
the facilities in this abusive
way.
In illustration Of the folly
Of manner in which the prob
lem is approached when the
Federal authorities have an
oar in the water, one can
look to the provisions Of the
federally sponsored Blue
Shield plan in effect In the
Washington area; this plar
encourages the patient to be
admitted to the hospita
without cause so that hi.
laboratory and X-ray bill.
will be paid in full Gas they
would not be if he received
these tests outside the hospi.
tab. Generally, we resist thi
pressure as much as possible
, but a doctor is on poor foot
. ing when he tries to argue ;
! patient into spending none.
for tests that he could ge
free" as a hospitalized per
son. AS a consequence of thi
: policy, thousands are ad
mitted for several days pc
/ year only for these tests
: meanwhile occupying be,
: space which is urgentl
5 needed for the really Ill
l There has been an alarmin
I deterioration in this situation
} since the Government plan