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HEARINGS

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON

INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

EIGHTY-THIRD CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

ON

H. R. 8356

A BILL TO IMPROVE THE PUBLIC HEALTH BY ENCOURAG-
ING MORE EXTENSIVE USE OF THE VOLUNTARY PREPAY-
MENT METHOD IN THE PROVISION OF PERSONAL HEALTH
SERVICES

2.5.4

MARCH 24, 25, 26, 30, 31, APRIL 1, 2, 5, 8, MAY 5, 6, AND 7, 1954

Printed for the use of the

A Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce

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CONTENTS

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Allman, Dr. David B., member, board of trustees, and chairman,
committee on legislation, American Medical Association..

Beers, Henry S., vice president, Aetna Life Insurance Co..

Biemiller, Andrew J., member, national legislative committee, Amer-

ican Federation of Labor..

Bohlinger, Alfred J., Superintendent of Insurance, State of New York.

Childs, Joseph W., vice president, United Rubber, Cork, Linoleum,

and Plastic Workers of America, CIO..--

Cruikshank, Nelson H., director of social insurance activities,

American Federation of Labor.

Ellenbogen, Theodore, Office of the General Counsel, Department of

Health, Education, and Welfare___

Ellickson, Mrs. Katherine P., associate director, CIO department of
research and education__

Faulkner, Edwin J., president, Woodmen Central Life, Woodmen

Accident, and Woodmen Central Assurance Co., Lincoln, Nebr..

Hipple, W. H. J., 3d, Atlantic City, N. J..

Hobby, Hon. Oveta Culp, Secretary of Health, Education, and Wel-
fare_

Howard, Dr. Ernest B., assistant secretary, American Medical Asso-

ciation

Keefer, Dr. Chester Scott, Special Assistant for Health and Medical

Affairs, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare..

Magnuson, Dr. Paul B., president, Chicago Rehabilitation Institute__

McNary, William S., chairman, council on Government relations,

American Hospital Association_

Miller, John H., vice president and actuary, Monarch Life Insurance

Co., Springfield, Mass...

Murphy, D. D., president, National Association of Insurance Com-

missioners

Myers, Robert J., chief actuary, Social Security Administration_

Perkins, Roswell B., Assistant Secretary of Health, Education, and

Welfare

207

Blue Shield medical care plans, letter from Courtney H. Taber, mana-
ger, research division, transmitting information

449

Buerki, Dr. Robin C., letter from..

437

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HEALTH REINSURANCE LEGISLATION

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 1954

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE,

Washington, D. C.

The committee met at 10 a. m., in the committee room of the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, Hon. Charles A. Wolverton (the chairman) presiding.

(H. R. 8356 and the reports thereon are as follows:)

[H. R. 8356, 83d Cong., 2d sess.]

A BILL To improve the public health by encouraging more extensive use of the voluntary prepayment method in the provision of personal health services

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That it is the purpose of this Act to encourage and stimulate private initiative in making good and comprehensive health services generally accessible on reasonable terms through adequate health service prepayment plans, to the maximum number of people, (a) by providing technical advice and information, without charge, to health service prepayment plans and to the carriers or sponsors thereof; and (b) by making a form of reinsurance available for voluntary health service prepayment plans where such reinsurance is needed in order to stimulate the establishment and maintenance of adequate prepayment plans in areas, and with respect to services and classes of persons, for which they are needed.

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(a) The term "beneficiary" means an individual (1) with respect to whom a carrier, pursuant to a health service prepayment plan, undertakes to pay in whole or in part for specified personal health services furnished to him by others, or (2) to whom, pursuant to such a plan, it undertakes to provide specified personal health services;

(b) The term "carrier" means a voluntary association, corporation, or partnership, other than an instrumentality wholly owned or controlled by a State or political subdivision thereof, which is organized under State law, and which is sponsoring, or is engaged in providing protection under insurance policies or subscriber contracts issued pursuant to, or is otherwise engaged in operating under, a health service prepayment plan;

(c) The term "Council" means the National Advisory Council on Health Service Prepayment Plans;

(d) The term "fund" means the Health Service Prepayment Plan Reinsurance Fund established by section 307; the term "account" means an account within the fund, established by the Secretary pursuant to that section;

(e) The term "health service prepayment plan" means a set of specifications under which a carrier undertakes, through a class or classes of insurance policies or subscriber contracts (as defined by the Secretary) or both, to do any or a combination of the following in return for insurance premiums or prepaid subscription charges:

(1) To reimburse specified beneficiaries or a class or classes of beneficiaries (or others with respect to such beneficiaries) in whole or in part for expenditures incurred by them for specified personal health services;

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