I & dependent P / am Providing Medical Care and Hospital hmwame : 1957

T LEAST 120 million people in .A the United States today have some form of voluntary medical care insurance. This protection against the costs of hospital and medical care is provided by varied types of insurance. Some segments of the population are covered by more than one type-usually for different benefits but sometimes for the same benefit. The four generally recognized categories of insurers are (1) the Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans, (2) group insurance underwriters, (3) individual insurance underwriters, and (4) a group of plans usually referred to as the independent plans, since they are not associated with each other or with the other three types of insurers. The first three types of insurers report regularly to national associations that prepare summary information about their enrollment and finances. The Division of Program Research of the Social Security Administration has been collecting similar information periodically for the past 14 years about the fourth category, the independent plans. In each of the past 4 years, a canvass has been made by mail to obtain data on these plans. This article summarizes the findings of the 1957 survey, which collected data about the plans as of the end of 1956. At about 5-year intervals an effort has been made in the survey to obtain information in considerable detail about the operation of the p1ans.l In the years since t,he last