Thursday, April 26, 1962 University Daily Kansan
Page 3
Medicare Subject of Debate
Two men associated with the medical profession locked horns last night on the proposed bill that would give medical care to the aged.
Dr. C. Y. Thomas Jr., a physician from Prairie Village, and L. R. C. Agnew, professor of history and chairman of the department of the history of medicine, spoke on the King-Anderson bill in the Forum Room of the Kansas Union.
PROF. AGNEW took the position favoring the bill while Dr. Thomas argued against it.
Oswald Backus, professor of history, and Vaclav Mudroch, assistant professor of history, also served on the panel.
The King-Anderson bill is a 67-page master plan for health care for the aged. It has four provisions:
- Hospital care — in semi-private rooms. The patient would pay $10 a day for the first nine days. The program does not pay the patient's doctor bill.
- Outpatient diagnostic services, all done at the hospital. The bill requires the patient to pay the first $20 of each diagnosis.
- Skilled nursing-home care for up to 180 days after the patient has left the hospital.
- Payment for visiting or intermittent nursing in the home for up to 240 visits a year.
DR. THOMAS STARTED the discussion by saying that if the bill did
One is that segregation of Lawrence barber shops may take business away from the three shops primarily serving Gregoes.
pass it would be a giant step towear socialized medicine. He said that the American Medical Association (AMA) is opposed to this plan if carried out under the social security system. The AMA is also opposed to the bill because of the disruption of the traditional doctor-patient relationship by government officials.
Prof. Agnew said he does not think the bill would lead to socialized medicine. "Doctors are not on government payrolls," he said.
He explained that he is worried about certain aspects of the medical profession. He centered his discussion around the economic standards of the AMA. Prof. Agnew advocated cheaper medicine and cheaper health care.
The AMA says that medicare should not be enacted until the Kerr-Mills bill has had a chance.
CRC Survey Ends Soon
Two economic factors have entered the current Civil Rights Council survey of segregation in Lawrence barber shops.
The other is the contention (which first appeared in the CRC survey held last October) that it requires special equipment to cut Negro hair.
"Integration works two ways." Moore said. "We want to include the attitudes of the Negro barbers in our survey."
THE CURRENT CRC survey group is divided into three teams and Thomas Moore, executive secretary of the KU-Y, said at the CRC meeting last night—attended by 10 persons—that two of the teams have completed their surveys. He added that the findings of all three teams should be compiled by next week, including the attitudes of Negro barbers and the answer to the special equipment problem.
Moore said that there has been a "great change in the attitudes of barbers since the CRC survey last year." saying that receptions to survey members have ranged from "friendly, to mercy polite."
THE KERR-MILLS BILL provides medical care to "medically indigent" through state funds supplemented by Federal grants.
A. W. Smalley, Shreveport, La,
graduate student, discounted the idea
that it takes special equipment to cut
Negro hair, but suggested that Negro
barbers be checked on the point.
MOORF GAVE the credit for this change in attitude to the barbers themselves rather than to any organization or individual.
"It has been a community change," he said.
Dr. Thomas was in agreement with the AMA. "As far as I am concerned, the AMA position and my position is that when there is government regulation of anything, there is socialism. This is a definition and there is no way getting around it. To say the King-Anderson bill is not socialism is an ostrich approach."
"We just can't do it," the barber said at that time. "It takes someone who has done it before. We have tried to cut their hair before. You can even get a comb through their hair."
WHEN GEORGE BUFORD, Kansas City senior and co-chairman of CRC, was refused service at a local barbershop last October, a barber said that he did not have equipment to cut Negro hair.
PROF. MUDROCH favored the bill because he felt that people over 65 should depend on society to help them when they are sick.
Pretty Hard on the Silverware
Dr. Thomas said he tries to explain to his patients the impact of this bill and to inform them on both sides of the question. "There is not a person in the United States who if asked about the medical care plan could not give you explanation of it."
WAUKESHA. Wis. — (UPI) — Waukesha County recently completed construction of a new $5 million "escape-proof" jail and courthouse. Deputies reported yesterday prisoner Lawrence Warrick, 30, used a spoon to dig his way out through two cement walls.
Prof. Backus said he was caught in a dilemma of contrasting thoughts.
"I have a real horror of big business and big labor, yet I am eager to see something done to diminish the burden of old people."
Dr. Thomas cited the rising hospital rates as one of the reasons why he is against the bill. The average bill for a day in the hospital has more than tripled, from $9.39 in 1946 to $32.23 in 1960.
"I think this nation can support many people who cannot support themselves."
Prof. Mudroch agreed with Prof. Backus on the proposition that the state should take an integral part in the medical care program.
Prof. Backus said earlier that state
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care could avoid a hugh bureaucracy. Dr. Thomas, who referred to President Kennedy as "Senator," said that the representatives in Washington are not giving full thought and effort to this problem of medical care.
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