CHESTER BOWLES

ESSEX,CON NECTICUT

Septerrber 3, 194.8

Dear Xrs. Lasker:

I appreciate very much the fact sheets  on
                    There's a

health which arrived in the mail the other day.
tremendous amount of material here which I can use.

            I am anxious to develop a model state program.
A friend of mine, Steve Bailey, who is an economist at Wesleyan,
is mw in Jashington getting whatever information he can from
the Social Security, who seem to have the best background on
what has been done on a state basis.

         The California program which Governor 'Jarren
put through is, I understand, the most advanced state program.
Perhapj I should pick it up and sponsor it for Cormecticut.
This would make it hard for the Republicans to attack it.

Havever, I would like to get your views on

an altermtive program that two or three of us have been con-
sidering,
help families who had suffered a serious illness -- the kind
which wipes out family savinfis and which every working family
dreads. It is extremely simple.

This proposal would be specifically designed to

1.

An family earning less than 43,000 a year would be
insured against any medical, hospital and doc>or's
bills which in a single year total more than $150
for the family.

Any family earning between $3,000 and $10,000 would
be compensated b:. the State for any su& bills which
exceeded in a single year 5% of the family income.
In other words, a family earni-ng $6,000 would be can-
pensated for hospital, medical and doctor's bills
in excess of $300.

2.

         I have tried to keep this as simple as
possible although perhaps it is too simple.  The idea originally
came from a rather offhand suggestion of the head of the
Hartford Hospital.  He estimated at the time that it mould
cost the state about one minion dollars a year. One advantage
seems to be that doctors, hospitals, and druggists, who now
are often unable to collect from patients for serious illnesses,

-2-

would welcome a guarantee of full compensaticn.
ease our problem with the Connecti cut hledical Asso ciation by
asking &em to establish a code and a standard of payments  on
all bills paid for by the State.

We might help

Dr. Peters af Yale is checking into this pro-

posal ard I expect to hear from him soon.
am right in thinking he is a reliable person?

I am wondering if I

It has been very hard to get to New York because

my days have been filled to overflowing with speeches, Visits
around the state, organization work, etc.
come in for the day on uonday, September 13th.

But I am planning to
  If you are back

from the country, perhaps

          My best

we can get together then.

regards and many thanks.

Nrs. Albert D. Lasker
Chrysler Building
New York 17, N.Y.