Los Banos Rotary Club History
Sees Socialized Medicine as Threat To Free Enterprise

A realization of the danger of socialized medicine to our American way of life was given members of the Los Banos Rotary Club Tuesday noon by Glenn Gillette, associate director of public relations for the California Medical Association.

Addressing the club on the subject "We Will Honeymoon in Whose Utopia?" Gillette pointed out that the current agitation to establish socialized medicine in this country is but one more long-range project by communist-minded individuals and groups to destroy the individual freedom that is the keystone of our American democracy. As an example, he cited a bird in a glided cage, which enjoys most of America's prized freedoms but is yet denied freedom of individual enterprise.

Citing Britain as an example of the evils of socialized medicine, "where tonsils are trimmed free and appendixes apprehended in due course," Gillette said medical care by the government is now costing the British people more than 10 per cent of the total governmental income. British doctors have largely lost their identity and have become glorified clerks with 150 forms to fill out on every major case.

As to its acceptance by the public, Gillette cited the fact that the former British prime minister, Bevin, who established socialized, medicine in England, passed by the governmental offer of free service when he himself was in need of surgical care, and went to a private hospital.

Declaring that medical costs to the average American family is less today than it was in pre-war years on the basis of average annual income, Gillette said the American public is fast awakening to the desirability and benefits possible by private medical and hospital insurance plans, of which there are today more than 25,000 companies in the United States. In California, he said, the California Physicians' Service, sponsored by the Medical Society, has doubled in the last five years, with now nearly five million persons insured. Cost of such insurance, he said, is about the same as the cost of smoking tobacco for the average man, or the cost of movies once a week for the family.

He commended governmental interest and financial support of medical and dental clinics, mass immunization programs and diagnostic clinics, and declared that governmental funds should be made available to expand hospital facilities.

The speaker was introduced by Dr. L. R. Hillyer, program chairman for the day.

February 1, 1952

---