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Show Doctors Get Smaller Share of Medical Dollar Physicians and dentists are getting get-ting a smaller share of the medical dollar today than they did 20 years ago. That fact was revealed by U. S. Department of Commerce data analyzed by the American Medical Association, Harold Bowman, Bow-man, executive director, Utah State Medical Association, reported report-ed recently. In 1933, physicians received 31 cents of the medical care dollar, but the physician's share in recent years was 24 cents, or 22.6 less than 20 years ago. Dentists received re-ceived 13 cents of the medical care dollar in 1938, but their share dropped to 10 cents in 1958. The study shows $16.4 billion was spent for medical care by Americans in 1958, an average of $95 a person. However, this represents repre-sents just 5.6 of the $293 billion spent by Americans that same year for all goods and services. "We spent more for recreation, and more for tobacco and alcoholic beverages than for medical care in 1958, and continue to do so in a typical year," Mr. Bowman said. The total consumer expenditures for medical care in 1958 showed spending for hospitals totalled $4.3 billion, physicians $3.9 billion, drugs, $3.3 billion, dentists $1.7 billion, health insurance $1.4 billion, bil-lion, ophthalmic products, such as eye glasses and orthopedic supplies $1.1 billion. ' Another $760 million went for osteopathic services, private duty nurses, chiropractors, chiropodists, and other curative or healing services. serv-ices. Items showing a major proportionate propor-tionate increase include hospitals, which received 17 cents of the medical care dollar in 1938 and 26 cents in 1958. This rise was attributed at-tributed to expansion of hospital service, their greater use by the public, and increases in equipment I and staff. |