Hospitals feel that payments by all agencies, including the department of public assistance, should be stepped up to meet the out-ofpocket expense. And in so doing we will not have to pass along certain expenses to private patients. We estimate that there is roughly $250,000 involved in this particular amount at the present time, and if this loss to hospitals could be eliminated we could, of course, help ourselves and the general public.

We feel at the Hospital Association that future planning should be along the lines that we have mentioned and that careful surveys and studies should be made to best provide additional nursing home facilities at or close to existing general hospitals. Diagnostic and treatment centers should be placed throughout the State so all our citizens, the aged as well as the younger people, could receive help in that manner.

I would like to relate the results of a small study made in our hospital for the last fiscal year, which ended June 30, 1959. This study shows that 11 percent of the patients admitted were 65 years or older. Contrast this with something in the neighborhood of 82 to 9 percent of our citizens who are in that age bracket. This study further shows that 19 percent of the patient-days consumed were by this group. You naturally draw from this that they stayed in the hospital longer, and they did. The average patient stayed 5.5 days, whereas the average older patient stayed 10.1 days. The cost, of course, was considerably more, amounting to $254, whereas the average was $126.

Rather than burden you with further figures, I would just like to point out this one additional observation: In the under 65-year age prepayment insurance was the greatest area of receipts. Whereas, in the over 65 age group, the prepayment dropped as age increased, so that agency payments increased considerably. This indicates to us that as we go up the ladder in age that the people are less able to meet their own health needs as far as hospitalization is concerned, at this time and must depend more and more on agencies.

In conclusion, we feel that much more study needs to be made of the problem, and we, of course, are happy to note that the joint council to improve the health care of the aged is involved in this study, and that it will continue along with other groups to do so.

We have this very definite feeling, we believe that a volunteer type of plan should be inaugurated to aid our older citizens in the payment of their hospitalization, and allied expenses. We believe that through such an organization as Blue Cross, communities have a backlog of information and knowledge that will permit them to deal with this and deal with it effectively.

We further feel that our older people like to feel they are part of the community, and that the same type of program that they have is the one that is shared by their neighbors.

Third, we feel that a program should be set up so our aged can be taken care of at or very near their homes. They do not want to be transported great distances for whatever health needs they have because that in itself adds to the problem, and it is important that we aid them in the manner in which they will do the best.

Thank you.

Dr. SHEPPARD. Thank you, Mr. Laughlin.

Now, the person with the broadest shoulders here, and the most patience is Floyd Harrison, the chairman of the Governor's commission on problems of the aging.

Senator Randolph mentioned that I expressed my appreciation of the cooperation of Mr. Lively, and I also pointed out that Mr. Lively was not the only one, Mr. Duane Hill was most helpful.

As for Mr. Harrison, he has had one of the broadest range of contacts in the State, and without that type of person like Mr. Harrison a subcommittee like our own just cannot succeed in these field hearings. We have asked Mr. Harrison to be the sort of capstan through all of this testimony, to give us a sort of statewide, bird's-eye view of the activities and the problems that he, himself, has been concerned with over the years.

Mr. Harrison.

STATEMENT OF J. FLOYD HARRISON, CHAIRMAN, STATE

COMMISSION ON AGING

Mr. HARRISON. There is not much to add to what has been done because Mrs. Holt, Mrs. Van Landringham, Dr. Harrington, Dr. Kessel, and Mrs. Evans, all members of my commission, have appeared and have given papers and statements within their field.

Now, there is one we did leave out, and that was our Negro member that was E. B. Saunders, from Clarksburg, who has prepared and furnished you with a paper on the problems of the aging Negro in Clarksburg, and I think our whole field of endeavor has been well covered, and it has been a pleasure for the commission, and for me, to work with you.

I want to file the 1957 report of the commission on aging that was filed with the Governor, and on the back of this report is the name of the current members of the commission with their addresses. I thought that might be of some value to you.

And I want to again say that the commission realizes that it was quite an honor for this subcommittee to come into this State, and we appreciate the honor.

Dr. SHEPPARD. Thank you.

I understand Mr. Waugh is still here, and I would be glad to speak to him afterwards, if he will understand.

If there is no objection from you, we would like to let these very patient people in the audience decide whether or not they can stay on and listen to you or I, myself, would like to listen to you personally. What is your pleasure?

Mr. WAUGH. How is that? I am hard of hearing.

Dr. SHEPPARD. Let me call the hearings to a close, and I will speak to you afterwards about your statement. Will that be all right? Mr. WAUGH. Very good. Very well.

Mr. SHEPPARD. Fine. The hearings are closed. much and thank you for Senator Randolph as well. (Whereupon, at 6 p.m., the committee adjourned.)

Thank you very

APPENDIX

STATUS OF THE NEGRO IN HARRISON COUNTY, W. Va.

A Report to the Commission To Study Problems of the Aged by E. B. Saunders, November 2, 1959

According to statistics, by mid-1956 it was estimated that 9 out of 10 men in the United States and 2 out of 3 of the aged women had some money income from employment, social insurance and/or a program for veterans. When public assistance is taken into account it appears that substantially all of the 6.7 million aged men in the United States and more than four-fifths of the 7.8 million women aged 65 and over had some earnings or money from a public income-maintenance program. Since women outnumbered men in the age population, with about 116 to every 100 men, one-tenth of all aged persons were still without income from employment or a public income maintenance.

The economic needs of the aged in the United States present a serious and continuing challenge to the Nation. The magnitude of the problem should not, however, overshadow the significance of recent gains in their economic security. There has been a striking increase in both the number and the proportion who can count on insurance benefits to replace a portion of earnings after retirement, as well as a substantial rise in the benefits paid under the major social-insurance programs. Most workers who retire or who are now retiring are able to continue to maintain independent living arrangements.

From June 1948 to June 1956 the relative number of aged persons with no money income from employment or a public income-maintenance program, including public assistance, dropped from about 3 in 10 of the aged population to about 1 in 9. The number with money income from employment or social-. insurance program increased from one-half in 1950 to three-fourths in 1958. Average monthly payments to retired workers, beneficiaries of old age and survivors insurance more than doubled during the same period, as the 1950 and subsequent amendments to the Social Security Act corrected the serious lag in the purchasing power of the benefits during the 1950's. The proportion of persons age 65 and over with no cash income or less than an income of $1,000 dropped from about three-fourths in 1948 to two-thirds in 1958, and there was an upward shift in income within this group, according to surveys made for those years by the Bureau of Census.

Notwithstanding, facts as stated above relative to the aged in the United States, the financial security of persons 65 or over in Harrison County, W. Va., who were personally contacted, the median of men was about $900 and of women $465 or less. About 80 percent of those contacted of the old men and women had less than $1,200 in income and a number of men and women reported none at all.

From the above it will be noted that more than half of the aged population appear to lack an adequate income for a rounded life.

My survey in Harrison County, which has approximately 1,100 Negroes, shows 26 widows, 13 own their own homes; widowers, 11, 7 own their homes; married couples 23, 14 own their own homes; old maids 2, 1 owns her home. Retirement and pension 12, with social security and supplemental incomes, with other work or pickup jobs. From the DPA 16 maintain their own homes, that is pay rent etc.; 5 live with friends, and 14 live with relatives such as children, nephews, and nieces. Thirty or more receive social security.

The assets of older persons are also low. A survey of old-age and survivors insurance in the United States in 1951 showed that one-fourth of the beneficiaries had no assets whatever and two-thirds had none other than real estate or had assets of less than $1,000. As to how Harrison County fits into the picture as a whole as given above, could not be ascertained, but persons contacted

showed that one-half of the beneficiaries had no assets whatever and about twothirds had none other than real estate, or had assets of less than $950.

These persons contacted were of the Protestant faith and had resided in Harrison County all of their lives or 30 or more years. Their average amount from social security was $55.60, ranging from $33 to $80 a month. Persons 65 or over had not been employed sufficient time to draw full social security before they reached the retirement age.

The picture as given above does reflect the status of the Negro in Harrison County from the economic as well as the maintenance side wherein it is very difficult for the Negro to maintain his station in life because of job occupation, or limitation. It is desirous that regardless of creed, color, or religion that all be given a chance to live as a true American.

REFERENCES'

1. "Money Income Sources for Persons Age 65 and Over," June 1959.

2. "Money Income Position of the Aged, 1948-55," by Lenore A. Epistein.

3. "Horizons for the Later Years," by Granville C. Fisher.

4. "Economic Status," State Department of Social Welfare, State of California.

5. "Financial Plight of Oldsters," Courier Post, Camden, N.Y., by R. O. Beckman.

6. Governor's Commission on Aging, State of Minnesota.

7. Social Security Office, Harrison County, V. T. Handley, supervisor.

8. D.P.A. Harrison County, Mrs. Hazel Garrett, director.

9. Personal contact of individuals in Clarksburg and Harrison County.

REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ON THE AGING

To Hon. Cecil H. Underwood, Governor of West Virginia:

DECEMBER 31, 1957.

The Legislature of West Virginia at its 1956 regular session, being advised as to the continued increase in the number and percentage of the State's population represented by older people and concerned about existing conditions and possible problems that may arise from expected further increases in this group, adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution 4, which is as follows:

"Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 4-Creating a commission to study problems of the aging

"Whereas the number of persons 65 years of age and over in the State (amounting to 14 percent of the population in some localities) has grown enormously— from 100,000 in 1920 to 200,000 in 1955-an increase of 100 percent as compared with 5 percent for the total population; and

"Whereas it is estimated there will be 300,000 persons 65 and over by 1960 of whom more than a third will live in urban areas, about one-third in small towns, and less than one-third in rural areas; and

"Whereas our older citizens possess great potentials of social and economic value to themselves, their communities, and the State; and are entitled, in their advancing years, to healthful living and to opportunities for continuing beneficial, useful, and satisfying activity; and

"Whereas numerous organizations, agencies, and institutions-public and private-interested in the well-being of our older men and women have urgent need for the best possible information to guide them in adapting a variety of programs and services that work to prevent dependency and to ameliorate hardship for an ever enlarging number of older citizens; and

"Where there is need to focus public attention on the problems of our aging population and to stimulate and coordinate effective work in this field: Therefore, be it

"Resolved by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring therein, That there is hereby created a commission on the aging. The commission shall consist of nine members, no more than five of whom shall belong to the same political party, one of whom shall be a doctor of medicine, one of whom shall be a lawyer, and each member thereof shall be appointed without partisan consideration from persons with a demonstrated interest in problems of the aging, appointed by the

1 Selected documents, vol. III, compiled by the staff of the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, U.S. Senate.