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Along these lines, the American Dental Trade Association has long recognized the need for dental health insurance. As recently as November 1963, the board of directors of the association voted unanimous approval of a prepaid dental care group plan for our members. We believe that we are the first industrywide trade association to offer such a plan. It is worth noting that our plan, as well as similar ones recently set up for other groups, has been enthusiastically accepted by those receiving the benefits, and by the dental profession.

We believe that this points up two interesting facts. First, private groups, operating within our free and competitive system, are willing and able to meet and eliminate the problem stated in H.R. 3920. The tremendous surge of effort in this direction in recent years and months is typical of the American way of solving problems. The system has proved itself in the past and should be allowed to do so again.

Second, the enthusiasm displayed by private citizens for this type of solution, coupled with an apparent waning of support for Government intervention through social security, is certainly significant.

IN CONCLUSION

The American Dental Trade Association is disturbed over the real possibility that programs of the nature embodied in H.R. 3920 may be extended until the Government becomes the sole purchaser of all health services. With good reason, we are concerned that under the domination of one giant consumer, there will follow the loss of a significant segment of our industry.

In the case of practitioners of the healing arts, such a condition cannot help but result in an encroachment upon the professional judgments that must be made in the best interests of patient care and the general health of our people. It cannot help but destroy the independence of professional judgment, competition, and product choice that has produced the high standards in dental and medical care we have come to know and expect in this country.

The dental industry is certain that there are available solutions for putting adequate health care within the reach of all those in need, including the needy aged, without resorting to a system that we feel will lead to a handicapping of private professional practice and, in turn, to a lower standard of health care. Finally, the American Dental Trade Association would like to express our appreciation to the sponsors of H.R. 3920 in their desire to meet the health care problems of the aged. We share their objective, but do not believe their solution to be in the best interests of the public, the profession, or the industry. We therefore recommend that the committee reject H.R. 3920. Respectfully submitted.

EDMUND WELLINGTON, Jr., Executive Secretary, American Dental Trade Association.

JANUARY 23, 1964.

LITTLE ROCK, ARK., January 23, 1964.

Hon. WILBUR MILLS,

House of Representatives,

Washington, D.C.:

The Central District Dental Society has directed me as its secretary to urge you to oppose H.R. 3920, the bill to include health care for the aged under Federal social security. Both our State and National association opposes this bill. We would appreciate if you would include this telegram in the hearing record on this bill.

Sincerely,

CHARLES W. FOWLER, D.D.S., Secretary-Treasurer, Central District Dental Society.

This method is being taken to indicate that correspondence expressing similar views to those in the above telegram has been received by the committee. Due to the voluminous nature of the space required

and the expense incurred in printing, there are listed below the names of organizations which have expressed such views to the committee:

Alabama Dental Association.

Second District of Alabama Dental Association.

Third District Dental Society of Alabama.
Seventh District Dental Society.

Alaska Dental Society.

California Dental Association.

Northern California District Dental Society.
Southern California State Dental Association.
Eighth District of California Dental Association.
Los Angeles County Dental Society.

Orange County Dental Society.

San Gabriel Valley Dental Society.
Sacramento District Dental Society.

Southern Alameda County Dental Society.

Western District Dental Society.

Colorado Dental Association.

Connecticut State Dental Association.

Delaware State Dental Society.

District of Columbia Dental Society.

Florida State Dental Society.

West Coast Dental Society.

Georgia Dental Association.

Idaho State Dental Association (forwarded by Congressman Compton I. White,

Jr., from the State of Idaho).

IIlinois State Dental Society.

Illinois District Dental Society.

Winnebago County Dental Society.

Indiana State Dental Association.

Northwest Indiana Dental Society.

Southeastern Indiana Dental Society (forwarded by Senator Vance Hartke from the State of Indiana).

South Central Indiana Dental Society.

West Central Dental Society of Indiana.

Green County Dental Society (forwarded by Congressman William G. Bray). Indianapolis District Dental Society.

Ben Hur Dental Society.

Isaac Knapp District Dental Society.
Wabash Valley Dental Society.

Michigan City Dental Society.

Iowa Dental Association.

Kansas State Dental Association.

Louisiana Dental Association.

Third District Dental Society.

Sixth District Dental Association (forwarded by Congressman James Morrison from the State of Louisiana).

Maryland State Dental Association.

Allegany-Garrett County Dental Society.

Baltimore City Dental Society.

Massachusetts Dental Society.

Berkshire District Dental Society.

Cape Cod District Dental Society.

Middlesex District Dental Society.

Southshore District Dental Society.

Wachusetts District Dental Society.

Michigan State Dental Association (forwarded by Senator Philip A. Hart from the State of Michigan).

Macomb County Michigan Dental Society (forwarded by Congressman James G. O'Hara from the State of Michigan).

Minnesota State Dental Association.

Missouri Dental Association.

Southwest Missouri Dental Association.

Greater St. Louis Dental Society.

Montana State Dental Association.
Nebraska Dental Association.

Omaha District Dental Society.
New Hampshire Dental Society.
New Mexico Dental Association.
New York:

Eighth District Dental Society.
Tenth District Dental Society.
North Dakota Dental Association.
Ohio State Dental Association.
Oklahoma State Dental Association.
Oregon State Dental Association.

Central Oregon District Dental Society.
Lane County Dental Society.
Multnomah County Dental Society.
Rogue Valley Dental Society.
Umpqua District Dental Society.
Washington County Dental Society.
Pennsylvania :

Second District Dental Association.
Fifth District Dental Society.
Sixth District Dental Society.

Eighth District Dental Association.

Ninth District Dental Society.

Indiana County Dental Society of Pennsylvania.

Odontological Society of Western Pennsylvania.

Berks County Dental Society.

Blair County Dental Society.

Cambria County Dental Society (forwarded by Congressman John P. Saylor from the State of Pennsylvania).

Dental Society of Chester and Delaware Counties (forwarded by Congressman Paul B. Dague from the State of Pennsylvania).

Crawford County Dental Society.

Erie County Dental Association.
Fayette County Dental Society.
Philadelphia County Dental Society.
Luzerne County Dental Society.
Valley Dental Society.

Lehigh Dental Society.

Schuylkill Dental Society.

Scranton District Dental Society.

Tioga Dental Society.

Rhode Island State Dental Society (forwarded by Senator John O. Pastore from the State of Rhode Island and Senator Claiborne Pell from the State of Rhode Island).

South Carolina Dental Association.

Central District Dental Society (forwarded by Congressman Albert Watson from the State of South Carolina).

Peedee Dental Society.

Tennessee State Dental Association.

Sixth District Dental Association.

Texas, San Antonio District Dental Society.

Vermont State Dental Society.

Washington State Dental Association.

West Virginia State Dental Society.

Wisconsin State Dental Society.

Kewaunee Dental Society.

Outagamie County Dental Society.

Congressman Schneebeli also submitted the following telegram: The Sixth District Dental Society of Pennsylvania urges you to oppose H.R. 3920, the King bill to include health care for the aged under Federal social security. Please include this wire in the hearing record on H.R. 3920. Signed, Frank H. Laedlein, D.D.S., Secretary, 825 Faxon Parkway, Williamsport, Pa.

COMMITTEE FOR PRESERVATION OF MEDICAL FREEDOM,

Hon. WILBUR D. MILLS,

Miami, Fla.

Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives, House Office Building, Washington, D.C.

DEAR CHAIRMAN MILLS: This statement is submitted to you as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee in opposition to H.R. 3920 upon which your committee is now holding hearings. It is requested that this statement be

placed in the record of your hearings.

My name is Leo V. Hand, M.D., and I am chairman of the Committee for the Preservation of Medical Freedom. This is an organization with a membership well in excess of 2,000 all of whom are doctors of medicine specializing in the practice of anesthesiology and organized for the purpose of opposing H.R. 3920 and all similar legislation which seeks to make the Federal Government (or any other government for that matter) responsible for medical or related care irrespective of need.

I am a resident of Boston, Mass., and have practiced medicine specializing in anesthesiology for more than 30 years. I am director of the department of anesthesia at New England Deaconness Hospital, Boston, Mass. I am also senior consultant in anesthesiology at U.S. Naval Hospital, Chelsea, Mass., and senior consultant in anesthesiology for the department of health, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Pondville Hospital, Walpole, Mass. In each of these institutions I am responsible for an anesthesia training program.

Our group opposes this legislation first as citizens and taxpayers and secondly as physicians.

As citizens and taxpayers we oppose this legislation because (1) it places upon the mass of the taxpayers the burden (through the social security system) of paying for hospital and related care irrespective of need at a cost impossible of ascertainment. We only know that it will be enormous and unnecessary. (2) We oppose it because of its socialistic character. The principle of this legislation is that a paternalistic state shall provide hospital and related care for a very large segment of our population at the expense of the people generally and irrespective of need. We submit that in our form of society that is not a function of the state no matter how modified the theory of our Government structure may have become. This is the function of the state in a communistic or socialistic society. Why should the young worker making $5,000 a year help pay for hospitalization for his well-pensioned boss who retired last year. (3) There is no need for the bill. Ample legislative provision already exists both Federal and State for hospitalization for those who need assistance. Moreover, I, and most of our members, have had substantial experience in the provision of hospital and related care for the indigent. We can categorically assert that this law is not needed.

As physicians we oppose this legislation because we believe that it will make hospital and medical care more expensive and stultify its continued advancement. This legislation obviously contemplates a huge bureaucracy stretching from the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare down through the administrators of our many thousands of hospitals and other health agencies. We have in this country provided the highest standard of medical care for the most people in the history of the world. This has been achieved in a system of free enterprise. Whenever medicine and its related services become too institutionalized, stagnation sets in and costs go up. Some of the problems which now beset the Blue Cross system of prepayment for medical care are the result of these very forces. Should this bill pass they will be magnified many times. As physicians we oppose this legislation because it is plainly the first step toward the socialization of our profession. We believe that history demonstrates that we function best in the atmosphere of free enterprise. We greatly fear the stultifying effect of socialization. As anesthesiologists we oppose this legislation because it is so drafted as to place in the hands of the bureaucrats and the administration of hospitals weapons for destroying our specialty. After considerable struggle the specialty of anesthesiology has freed itself from the domination of hospitals which had threatened to stifle its growth and stultify its progress. Freedom to practice as other physicians is essential to the attraction of able young physicians to this specialty. We fear, and experience has demonstrated that it is reasonable to fear, the pressures which will be placed upon anesthesiologists to submit

themselves again to lay control of their practice. This would have a serious adverse effect on the advancement of the art of surgery which depends to a major degree upon advance in the art of anesthesia. Respectfully submitted.

LEO V. HAND, M.D.,

Chairman, Committee for the Preservation of Medical Freedom.

NOVEMBER 18, 1963.

Hon. WILBUR D. MILLS,

Member, Committee on Ways and Means,
House of Representatives:

In lieu of a personal appearance, the Association for Physical and Mental Rehabilitation desires to submit the following statement for the careful consideration of your committee. It applies specifically to S. 880, the Hospital Insurance Act of 1963. It is understood that such written statements of substance will be included in the printed record of the hearings.

The subject headings of this letter are: (1) "Purpose," (2) "Introduction," (3) "Definition of Corrective Therapy," (4) "Professional Status and Competence of Corrective Therapists," (5) "Need for Their Services," (6) "Proposal for Their Inclusion in the Bill," (7) "Correspondence and Contracts," (8) "Summary."

(1) Purpose. The objective of the Association for Physical and Mental Rehabilitation in this legislation is to achieve equality with the other paramedical therapies.

(2) Introduction.-The membership of the Association for Physical and Mental Rehabilitation is composed of corrective therapists whose livelihood is the profession of exercise therapy. They are dependent upon a nondiscriminatory acceptance of their service by Federal legislation, and for the growth of their profession.

(3) Definition of corrective therapy.-Corrective therapy is a medically recognized therapy and rehabilitation modality, established after World War II, and operating at present under medical supervision in the Veterans' Administration, State and private agencies throughout every State in the Union except Alaska and Hawaii. The function of corrective therapists is given by the U.S. Civil Service Commission in its announcement No. 290-B, dated November 20, 1962, as follows: "Corrective therapists plan, administer, and supervise medically prescribed physical exercises directed toward maintaining or improving the general state of health of the patient by preventing muscular deterioration, conserving and increasing strength, and restoring function. They guide the patients inambulation and develop proficiency in routines of personal hygiene for bedfast patients." It should be added that corrective therapists work in the general medical and surgical, neurological, psychiatric, tuberculosis, blind, and mentally retarded areas of treatment and rehabilitation. They are particularly skilled in assisting the patients to achieve the activities of daily living such as getting in and out of bed, self-feeding, walking, personal hygiene, and other self-help procedures.

(4) Professional status and competence of corrective therapists.-Corrective therapists are recognized by the U.S. Civil Service Commission and their duties are detailed in the U.S. Civil Service Commission classifications under date of August 1961. The nucleus from which the present organization of corrective therapy emerged after World War II was referred to by Dr. Howad Rusk as the cream of the crop. Dr. Joel Boone, when Chief Medical Director of the Veterans' Administration, considered corrective therapy a major contribution to medicine.

(5) Need for the services of corrective therapists.-In less than a decade more than $150 million have been invested in the construction of the 270 rehabilitation centers and workshops established under the Hill-Burton Hospital Construction Act. With this accelerated construction, it is generally recognized that the greatest impediment to the adequate rehabilitation of the handicapped in this country is the extreme lack of qualified and competent personnel, including corrective therapists. Federal legislation of a nondiscriminatory or restrictive nature must be provided to bring the full potential of the country to meet this need.

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