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Show THE PUBLIC HEALTH Witliin llie near future. Congress will begin considering consider-ing n number of proposed measures designed To improve the public Iiealtb. And wben tbat time comes, certain definite principles sbould be kept firmly in mind. First, notliing must be done that will prevent people from choosing their own doctor. This is basic in sound medical medi-cal practice. Second, medicine must not be regimented. The doctor must never be dominated by a government official re-quired re-quired to look to some bureau for Tiis livelihood. Third, we must avoid the mistake of forcing people to pay for a specified medical service whether they wish it or not. Voluntary prepaid medicine is one thing compulsory tax payments for a service individuals may not desire is something very different Fourth, we must confine Federally-financed medicine to care for the needy, so far as treatment of the individual is concerned. It is a proper public service for the taxpayers o underwrite medical care for those who honestly cannot pay for it themselves. It is not a proper service to finance it for those who are perfectly able to pay for it. Fifth, administration must be accomplished at the local community levelnot at the Washington level, with its inevitable in-evitable wasteful and inefficient bureaucracies. The goal should be to preserve private medicineand at the same time to help the indigent. This can be done with a minimum of expense and without creating still another ever-expanding Federal bureau with an enormous payroll. |