Show II II I I I II I II I I THE HE Department of Health Education Edu Edu- Education cation and Welfare celebrated its first birthday as a full-blown full cabinet department in April but it I administers some very old programs pro pro- I Ii i grams the grams the Public Health Service for instance had its start in 1793 1798 I The past year has seen a thorough I. I review in HEW of the procedures under which these programs are carried out and Secretary Oveta I Gulp Culp Hobby has asked Congress CongressI I for authority to make important I changes in the means by which grants in aid for a variety of purposes purposes purposes pur pur- poses are made to the states i the Public Health 1 f At present I Service makes six separate grants I to state health authorities conveying conveying conveying convey convey- ing earmarked funds to be used for forI I general health tuberculosis conI control con con- veneral disease control mental I health cancer control and comI communicable com com- I disease control Money 1 given for one of these purposes cannot be used for another HEW claims that this earmarking earmark earmark- J ing introduces ri rigidity into state slate i health plans keeps available dolI doll dol- dol I lars from going as far as they l I would if state health authorities i had more freedom in use of the I funds Authority was requested to toI I make a unified public health grant I to the states to be allocated at ati i i their discretion HEWs HEW's n nsw new w in grants seem i lik likely ly to be unified with funds supplied supplied sup sup- i plied as Support grants t 1 u- u help maintain basic services given on onI j I the basis of financial need extent exten exten- t I i sion and improvement grants given 1 on the basis of population and special project grants given on the basis of unusual problems and andI opportunities I The one exception probably wIllbe will willbe willbe be grants for mental health Members Members Mem Mem- bers bels of Congress and a number of ot state officials believe that lumping these with other funds will cause mental hygiene programs to be submerged submerged sub sub- merged in other health activities Lobby groups which do not often often of of- iten ten see eye to eye on national Is Issues issues sues joined forces to shoot holes hole inthe in inthe inthe the Eisenhower Administration pio- pio for a health insurance program pro gram The National Chamber of Commerce Commerce Com merce and American Medical Association As which have locked horns in the past joined other groups in invoicing invoicing invoicing voicing opposition the bill drawn up by the Department of Health Education and Welfare and introduced intro into both houses of Congress HEW Secretary Hobby said th tho tha legislation would Establish a reinsurance rein reinsurance sur mee fund to stimulate insurance carriers to broaden benefits and service authorize 25 million to reinsure reinsure re- re insure abnormal losses the fund meeting 75 per cent of losses the carriers the remainder among other things Said the AMA The bill will not fill its intended purpose and may in fact inhibit satisfactory progress which is now bein being beins made by voluntary insurance companies Said the Chamber of Commerce It It would add nothing to the present rapidly expanding and successful successful successful suc suc- system and might lead to socialized medicine under a compulsory health insurance plan v |