Published: September 24, 2008 02:39 pm            

Yesterday in Newton: Looking Back Part - II - Medicare

NEWTON — Newton Hospital located on South Main Street was approved for Medicare on May 10, 1967. Dr. Omar Simmons, administrator was officially notified in writing. The notice was signed by Douglas M. Richard, Atlanta Ga., regional Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare in Washington D.C. The approval dates back to April.

The U.S. government program was created as an amendment to the National Social Security Act of 1935, to help give medical aid to those over 65 and a guarantee of health insurance.

The legislature enacting Medicare was passed in 1965 under the administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson and represented the culmination of a 20 year legislative debate over a program originally sponsored by President Harry S. Truman.

(Reference Encyclopedia Britannica) A Newton Record article of May 17 says the first day of Medicare socialized medicine was July 1, 1965.

The patient load at the local Newton Hospital increased within a week after the approval was received. It was operating full or even with overflow patient load. There were 43 beds available, all private and most of them occupied all the time.

National Hospital Week was observed the week of May 17 and the Newton Record published some lengthy articles that space will not permit, however, I will refer to some of the facts later on.

When Newton Hospital was approved for Medicare the report was thick, it was in “substantial compliance” with HEW guidelines.

At the time of approval there were four physicians on the medical staff, Drs. Omar Simmons, Duff D. Austin, Norman W. Todd and Austin P. Boggan. These are named from memory as no on wall left.

The hospital was staffed by 51 people, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Medicare did not (and does not) provide 100 percent protection against hospital or medical expense. It also provided for some protection for hospital bills, doctor’s bills and convalescent care.

When the local hospital was approved for medicare, the Newton Record informed the public about what the program paid at that time.

For the hospital patient the government pays all but the first $40 for the first sixty days and all but $10 of the daily bill for the third month of the hospital stay. The sick person gets this aid (after he pays the first $40) without any payments from him to the government.

For a premium of $3 a month a subscriber can get insurance for his doctor’s bills under medicare.

The patient must pay the first $50 of his doctor’s bill in any year and thereafter the program pays 80 percent of the doctor’s bills “fair and reasonable” charges.

This given some information about the first days of Medicare and Newton Record articles have been used for this column.

When the Medicare program began, I was one of the few people in the state that had a registration in Medical Record Library Science. It later changed to Medical Record Administration. At the time, I was director of Medical Records of the Vicksburg Hospital and Clinic in Vicksburg. Medical Records consultants were required. It wasn’t long before hospitals began to call the administrator at the hospital asking for my consulting services. This demand grew and in 1970 I resigned a full time job and became a full time consultant . I retired in 1991.

My love for Newton Hospital is deeper than anyone can imagine because my courses and training began at the old Newton Hospital in 1951. In 1963 I joined the Vicksburg staff. In 1970 H.C. (Mud) Majure Administrator called me and asked me to be the Medical Records Consultant at Newton Hospital. I accepted and remained on the staff for 14 years. During this time I gave untiringly of my knowledge and experience to meeting the standards of the hospital to participate in the program for the sick and in hospital.

        

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