OCR Text |
Show Utah Doctors Propose Cooperative Hospital, Medical Care Set-Up SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 13 (CP) A cooperative medical aid .program .pro-gram to moderate costs of treatment treat-ment to any Utahn taking part is announced by the medical service ser-vice bureau of the Utah State Medical association. It is hoped to have the plan operating op-erating early next year; legal technicalities tech-nicalities must be studied, and enabling legislation may be necessary. neces-sary. Two Plans Proposed Two plans are proposed. The first provides up to 21 days' hospitalization annually for each member of any group of 10 or more persons subscribing as policyholders. poli-cyholders. The second sets a percentage per-centage of ,cash repayment to policyholders becoming seriously ill of certain diseases or hurt in nonindustrial accidents. In the latter plan; share of payment pay-ment for cases has not yet been conclusively determined. The plans do not include constant medical treatment or examination for ordinary diseases not requiring re-quiring hospitalization. Only group purchase is allowed and such, groups must unanimously specify use of the hospitalization plan alone or together with the reimbursement reim-bursement plan, the latter not being be-ing available singly. The plans, it is said, would not interfere with workmen's compensation compen-sation insurance programs, but would supplement them for emergencies em-ergencies not covered. Groups would petition the administrators ad-ministrators of the association for policies. Annual premiums wpuld be $21.60 for one person, $J36 for a couple, $48 for families with children between six months and 19 years included. If hospitalization hospitaliza-tion only is wanted, premiums would be $10.80, $18 and $24. Hospitalization would embrace use of semiprivate or ward room, operating room, anesthetics, regular regu-lar laboratory care and routine drugs. Previously contracted contagious con-tagious diseases as cancer and tuberculosis would not be under the plan. In the reimbursement plan the individual would get cash payments pay-ments ' for part of the medical fees for one major and one minor illness or injury annually. Only conditions in which liability can accurately be determined in advance ad-vance will be listed for payment. |