328  Present  Status  of  Health  Insurance.      j'^""-  •^°May^^9'2'S: 
THE  PRESENT  STATUS  OF  COMPULSORY  HEALTH 
INSURANCE. 
REPORT  OF  THE  COMMITTEE  ON  SOCIAL  INSURANCE  READ  AT  THE  NINTH 
ANNUAL  MEETING  OP  THE  AMERICAN  DRUG  MANUFACTURERS' 
ASSOCIATION  HELD  AT  THE  HOTEL  BILTMORE,  NEW  YORK  CITY, 
APRIL  12-15,  1920. 
This  being  an  off  year,  legislatively  speaking,  there  isn't  much 
to  report  regarding  the  movement  for  compulsory  health  insurance. 
During  the  past  winter,  interest  has  very  largely  centered  right  here 
in  the  State  of  New  York.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  indeed,  the  leaders 
of  the  movement  have  largely  concentrated  their  forces  on  New 
York  ever  since  they  were  so  effectively  defeated  in  California  two 
years  ago. 
COMPULSORY  HEALTH  OPPONENTS  GAINING  STRENGTH. 
There  is  now  pending  in  the  legislature  of  this  State  a  bill  pro- 
viding for  the  realization  of  compulsory  health  insurance.  This 
is  the  fifth  annual  measure  of  the  kind.  Last  year  the  struggle  was 
most  dramatic.  It  looked  for  a  week  or  two  as  though  the  pro- 
ponents of  compulsory  health  insurance  would  triumph,  but  the 
day  was  finally  saved.  This  year  it  would  appear  that  the  opposi- 
tion is  much  stronger.  We  gather  from  what  we  are  able  to  learn 
that  the  present  bill  is  not  likely  to  succeed.  Not  only  are  its 
opponents  much  better  organized  and  far  more  powerful,  but  the 
legislature  seems  to  have  troubles  of  its  own  and  the  Davenport 
measure  has  become  more  or  less  of  a  side  issue. 
New  York  State,  indeed,  is  admirably  organized  against  this 
fanatical  movement.  The  Merchants'  and  Manufacturers'  Associa- 
tion, with  which  our  body  has  been  affiliated,  has  carried  on  a  very 
effective  campaign  of  education.  The  New  York  League  for  Ameri- 
canism has  likewise  stepped  into  the  breach  and  has  done  most 
effective  work  in  showing  up  the  sophistries  and  fallacies  of  the 
scheme.  And  the  three  groups  most  directly  affected,  namely, 
the  physicians,  dentists  and  druggists,  have  here  and  there  through- 
out the  State  cooperated  in  the  establishment  of  "guilds"  and  have 
fought  compulsory  health  insurance  tooth  and  nail. 
These  "guilds"  did  heroic  work  last  fall.  During  the  campaign 
just  prior  to  the  November  election,  a  working  committee  was  ap- 
pointed in  each  assembly  district  composed  of  two  physicians,  two 
druggists  and  one  dentist.    Each  committee  called  on  the  candidates 
