Medicine: Alarming Symptoms

Socialized medicine—or anything that even looks or smells like socialized medicine—gives the American Medical Association chills & fever. Last week in St. Louis (see above) A.M.A. officials were running a temperature. Harry Truman, pledged to compulsory national health insurance, had unexpectedly won the election—with a Democratic Congress. What should A.M.A. do?"

First, A.M.A.'s policy-making House of Delegates turned down a proposal for a nonprofit national health insurance company. The plan was recommended by the Blue Cross-Blue Shield Commissions, headed by Dr. Paul Ramsey Hawley. The idea was to issue policies covering hospital and medical bills on a nationwide scale, which would...