Show Progressive Medical Experiment A a progressive experimental approach ap- ap A poach to a field of endeavor in which there L' L I is very little encouraging data the Utah State Medical association at a special meeting of its house of delegates has adopted a plan of medical medical medi- medi cal cal and hospitalization hospitalization insurance It is planned to meet health emergencies for any family in the f state by prepayment of small regular payments t Ultimately it may care for the needs o of from 80 t to 90 oo per cent of the states state's population Present plans call for supplying service only In the case of major needs Office and home calls call by physicians treatment nt of minor ailments l and examinations do not come come coma under the plan Families will choose their own doctors whose fees will be paid by the Medical Service bureau a ft nonprofit organization incorporated by the state medical association three years ago The program resembles that of a mutual in insurance insurance in- in insurance company If legislation is necessary to tomake tomake make the plan effective it will be sought from the legislature convening next month An undetermined undetermined undetermined un un- un- un determined point pertains to families without income Participation may be made available to them by legislation providing for payment of premiums from public funds The medical association hopes to launch the program early in inthe the coming year There should be general gratification in the state that the medical profession itself has launched thi this commendable enterprise Because of the lack of data corresponding with what life insurance companies refer to as experience tables the Utah State Medical association toan toan to ton an n extent at least is making a leap in the dark It earns praise for its courage It is truly significant significant significant sig sig- sig- sig that it moves to keep group medicine within the domain of the single profession fitted to administer it assumes all medical and economic economic economic eco eco- risks and remains amenable to all laws governing corporations in the state It will operate operate operate op op- op- op erate wholly outside of political control It has often offen been asserted that the United States lags behind many other nations in the provision provision provision pro pro- vision of proper medical care for all citizens It has been advocated that systems in vogue abroad be introduced in this country The term socialized socialized socialized so medicine has come into wide use use in consequence There has been a vast misconception tion of oust just what that would mean for this people people peo peo- pie and d a for those in the medical profession Transplanted to this soil some of the foreign medical programs Would be quite as fantastic as M would be the adoption of some of their recently conjured political ideologies s and accompanying concepts of social organization They simply have no place in a free society The fact is that the United States has been characterized as a nation of pronounced advancement advancement ad ad- advancement in all branches of medical art Its medical practitioners have from the beginning hitched their wagons wagon to stars Standards for hospitals medical schools examiners nurses and manufacturing laboratories are equaled in few co countries and excelled in none American med mcd- ical la law is exemplary Research is lavishly sup sup- ported In the field of medical discovery lion tion and development the United States enjoys a a. matchless record Needed medical service is available to every citizen through his own funds or from public or private charity Perhaps to an extent exceeding the expenditures of public and private charity the medical profession itself to its own impoverishment has given free service to the needy not needy not to mention those who simply do not pay their bills A further fact is that many as we have the country needs many thousands of additional doctors to make service available to those living In in backward areas Socializing medicine would not riot provide the needed practitioners but by re removing removing removing re- re moving incentive would progressively reduce the num number er already available Such plans as have been worked out by the profession here and andIn in other states are characteristically American plans retaining incentive for those in the heal heal- ing mg arts and for youth which aspires to car careers ers i in medical science The plan holds high promise of f health for all |