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Show Medics From Eight States Consider Problems of Aging women's organizations, religion, labor, industry and government, that these constructive programs will relieve the government and the tax structure from the necessity neces-sity of providing medical care for a large segment of the citizenry." citi-zenry." A physician, James A. Shown, Great Falls, Montana, told the conference thta "health care for the aging involves every segment seg-ment of our population." "Every profession, occupation, industry, labor organization, religious re-ligious denomination, community commu-nity and ultimately and basically basical-ly every family unit must share in this responsibility," adding "It is time that the nation restore re-store the basic dignity of man to the aging citizen." Several of the conference speakers from eight states Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Mon- More than 300 persons from an eight state area and from all walks of life applied a scientific yardstick to the knotty problems of health care for the aged at a one day conference in Salt Lake City and concluded that private enterprise can handle the job. "Six million persons over 65 are now covered under voluntary volun-tary programs," J. F. Follman, Jr., New York insurance expert told the conference. "Coverage will increase significantly during dur-ing the next few years as the results of a number of experimental experi-mental programs are determined." deter-mined." Mr. Follman, director of research re-search and information for the Health Insurance Association of America, said experimentation has been necessary since so little has been known about the exact type, extent and cost of cover- age needed for persons over 65. He listed several positive steps already employed by insurance companies to provide protection for the aged, and then followed with five recommendations, he said 265 insurance company representatives rep-resentatives have already adopted adopt-ed in an effort to accelerate programs pro-grams for the aging population. These recommendations were: 1. Insurers would promptly make available to insurable adults policies which are guaranteed guar-anteed renewable for life. 2. Insurers should encourage the sale of permanent health care insurance where the need exists. 3. Insurers not now doing so should promptly offer individual and family hospital, surgical and medical care coverage to per- tana, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming pointed up the fact that, as a group, older persons responsible for their own health are an asset to society. , Elder Marion G. Romney said the cardinal principle of the welfare wel-fare program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is to help people help themselves. them-selves. "Our primary purpose was to set up a system under which the curse of idleness would be done away with, the evils of a dole abolished, and independence, industry in-dustry and thrift and self respect once more established amongst our people." Dr. Frederick Swartz, Lansing, Mich., another speaker, said a two pronged attack by individuals indivi-duals and communities is nec essary to provide a meaningful living among older persons. "What is needed most is a reappraisal re-appraisal of all our attitudes in this filed. As specialists in the health field, physicians recognize recog-nize their responsibility for aiding aid-ing to make this clear and to enunciate the medical principles involved. "At the same time we are in-health in-health care for that minority of our older population which is ill. It is in the context of these two responsibilities that medicine medi-cine is sponsoring this and future fu-ture meetings." sons now over age 65. 4. Insurers should develop and aggresively promote soundly fi-naced fi-naced group basis coverage that will continue after retirement. 5. Insurers should encourage the inclusion in group contracts of the rights to convert to an individual contract on termination termina-tion of employment." Mr. Follman told the group, representing medical societies, |
