Medford mail tribune., November 10, 1957, Image 44

. I - Ju i v- , . r.
Be
by Ji KwnU
NArr by Elmer Jacobs
or W3c Ado I visiUd friend 'hose husband had
been gravely ill for months. Alice was upset
bout vrything money included.
"You fcnoa-," 4ia said tearfully, "only a rich man
can fTord to be really pick!"
I thought about her words but I doubted them until
A cousin toofc seriously ill while vacationing in the
South. Whi f red's wif showed fe the bills for his
f 1-day stay in the hospital, I could understgryd what
Alice had meant. Here's what the bills looked like:
room and bxntf'd (rwo-bd room)
operating ro$ih
laboratory
D jiAtholcigy
drugs, di'(u)n antibiotic,
iixtjf venous; Jefdirvi
oxygen
;eieirofittkran$
th DmlKC iDJ& fop At farh
doctor' Aim) SUtgeOrt's bill
11 Family Weekly. November 10. 1957
o
$465.00
50.00
756.00
12.50
734.00
519.00
54.50
118.50
$1,488.00
$1,100.00
In short, one month of sudden and severe illness
cost Cousin Fred $5,400! His small savings account
was sadly depleted and, of course, the figures tell
nothing about his loss of income during this period or
the usual expenses of maintaining his home, wife, and
two children.
Fred's story is a frightening one, but it's far from
unique. Each year the cost of long sickness and dis
ability in America reaches the staggering total of $6.1
billion! To the families involved, desperate to restore
a loved one to health, this often mepins ifelong debt,
dependence on relatives or charity or, even worse,
the abandonment of treatment altogether.
Fortunately, most of us are healthy! The avenjc
family spends more for recreation than for medical
care (doctors, dentists, hospitals, drugs, insurance,
etc.). Four and one-half percent of our income the
average amount spent for medical care isn't much
when we consider the skill, attention,(hd Jiftg health
we get in return.
The big problem is the loig) ci illness)
which saps the health and fesufcSet) C hole
family as well as the victim. ThlsiSfc $Jia,t can
we do to cushion the blow of such a calamity should
it occur in our family?
T-he first thing is to practice prevention. If that
sounds simple and trite, the facts indicate
otherwise, for 70 percent of Americans fail to
have an annual physical checkup. Far too many wait
for a minor complaint to become a major illness be
fore seeking help.
Moreover, millions of others ignore the medical
services of their communities: free chest x-rays,
special clinics, ear and eye examinations for children.
Prevention isn't the doctor's job; 365 days a year we
decide the food we eat, the hours we rest, and how
much we smoke and drink.
Second, most of us can learn to budget ahead for
luture medical expenses. No one can predict an
emergency, bue can estimate routine costs: medi
cal and dental checkups, vaccinations, sho ob
stetrical care, and a dozen other thirajjfc
Finally, and most important, we c&i buy predion
m tne form of medical-surgical insrAnt TtoSr$)
now five types of voluntary health insurance $vfcilabJ)