Conversation No. 47-1

Date:  February 16, 1971
Time:  8:04 am - unknown before 11:59 pm
Location:  Cabinet Room

The President met with Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, William P. Rogers, John B. Connally, Melvin R. Laird, John N. Mitchell, Winton M. (ARed@) Blount, Rogers C. B. Morton, Clifford M. Hardin, Maurice H. Stans, James D. Hodgson, Elliot L. Richardson, George W. Romney, John A. Volpe, George P. Shultz, Robert H. Finch, H. R. (ABob@) Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, Henry A. Kissinger, Clark MacGregor, William E. Timmons, Peter M. Flanigan, Herbert G. Klein, Raymond K. Price, Jr., Alexander P. Butterfield, Ronald L. Ziegler, William L. Safire, Dr. Edward E. David, Jr., Robert J. Brown, Paul W. McCracken, Arnold R. Weber, Caspar W. (ACap@) Weinberger, Arthur J. Sohmer, Robert E. Patricelli, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., John R. Price, Jr., and Gary Cook

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National Security]
[Duration:  19s  ]

	[UNINTELLIGIBLE]

	DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

	VIETNAM

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

[To listen to the segment (37m 6s) declassified on 02/28/2002, please refer to RC# E-504.]

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	Richardson on the health program
		-The Vice President
		-Background
		-Reform
		-Study
		-Proposals
			-Range of opinions
		-The President=s position
			-Reforms
				-Effectiveness
			-Past social programs
		-Socialized medicine
			-Compared to United States= medical system
		-Richardson=s program
			-Details

The President left at 8:48 am

		-Administration recommendations on Capitol Hill
		-Improvements
		-Richardson=s trip to New York
		-Health programs
			-Goals
			-Problems in present system
			-Approach
				-Emphasis on quality
		-Improvements in United States= health care
			-Maternal deaths
				-Rate
				-Decline
				-United States= rate compared to other nations
					-Reporting system
			-Data on health
				-Differences in reporting system
			-Low-income people
				-Whites
				-Non-whites
			-Mortality rates
				-Figures
		-Resource allocation
			-Rural areas
				-Availability of care
			-Catastrophic care costs
			-Prevention
			-Problems
				-Solutions
		-Major health care problems
			-Approach
		-National health insurance
		-Edward M. (ATed@) Kennedy=s program
			-Diversity
				-Freedom of choice
			-Regulation
			-Health care system
				-Emphasis on prevention
		-Administration proposal
			-Health maintenance organizations [HMOs]
			-Medicare recipients
				-Comprehensive care
			-Fixed prices on care
				-Doctors= charges
			-Interest groups
				-Medical societies
				-Foundations
			-Fixed prices
				-Advantages to government recipient
		-General practitioners
		-Specialists
			-Government encouragement
			-Legislative proposals
			-Insurance options
			-Financial assistance
				-Medical schools
			-Legal obstacles
				-Supremacy clause of Constitution
				-Antiquated state laws
				-Use of paraprofessionals
		-Regional scarcities
			-Reasons
				-Rural and inner city areas
			-Teaching hospitals
			-Manpower problems
			-Solutions
				-Family health centers
					-Location
					-Expansion
				-Training
				-HMOs
				-Support
				-National Health Service
					-Public Health Service
						-Draft exemptions
				-Teaching clinics with medical schools
			-Reform of medical education system
			-Financial distress aid
		-Primary care specialists
			-Decline in number
		-Reform of medical system
			-Administration proposals
				-Increased funds for medical schools
				-Role of federal government
			-Medical school costs
				-Students
				-Federal government relief
				-Grants to school
		-Medical schools/education
			-Graduates
			-Curricula
			-Government funding
				-Formula
					-American Medical Association [AMA]
					-Number of graduates
			-Special projects grants
			-Minority students
				-Scarcity areas
				-Scholarships
				-Loans
					-Guarantees
					-Forgiveness of loans
			-Allied health personnel
				-Responsibilities
				-Training
			-Scarcity areas
				-Loans to physicians
					-Primary care
			-Forgiveness provisions
				-Problems
			-Construction grant programs
		-Preventive health program
			-Doctor-patient partnership
			-Education programs
			-Research
				-Cancer
				-Sickle-cell anemia
				-Accident prevention
				-Venereal disease
				-Alcoholism
				-Family planning
			-Community health
		-National health insurance
			-The President=s proposals
			-Standards
			-Minimum levels
				-Coverage
				-Catastrophic provisions
				-Private sector
			-Coverage
				-Deductibles
			-Costs to employees/employers
			-Deductibles
				-Stress on awareness of cost
			-Employee contributions
			-Tax system
				-Impact on health plans
				-Incentives for employers
				-Deductions
				-Anomalies
			-Tax questions
				-Problems
			-Employee contributions
				-Incentives
				-Collective bargaining
			-Impact on business
				-Department of Health, Education, and Welfare [HEW] report
			-Number eligible
				-Costs
				-Business expenditures
			-Costs
				-Increases
					-Small business
						-Impact
			-Alternatives
			-Federal employees
				-Low option choice
					-Costs
			-Small business
				-Exemptions
				-Subsidies
				-Costs
					-Impact
			-Private plans
				-Number enrolled
			-Dilemmas of HEW proposals
			-Costs
				-Low-income people
			-Small businesses
				-Impact of national plan
			-Working poor
				-Coverage
			-Unemployed
				-Coverage
			-Medicare
				-Working poor
				-Disincentives
			-Self-employed people
			-Problems with national plan
			-Modifications in the President=s plans
				-Actuarial calculations
			-Cost calculations
			-Catastrophic coverage
			-Richardson
			-Stans
				-Concerns
			-Problems
				-Cost
					-Coverage
				-Small business
			-Employee
				-Current plans
					-Disincentives
			-Misuse of system
				-Prevention
			-Alternative to federal take-over
			-Increasing health costs
			-Tax bill
				-Income taxes
				-Social Security
			-Federal responsibility
				-Family coverage
				-Eligibility
				-Welfare families
					-Children
			-Uniformity
			-Deductibles
			-Private plans
			-State supplements
			-Expense of federal program
				-Limitations
			-Consolidation of Medicare programs
				-Premiums
			-Medicare
				-Deductibles
					-Reasons
			-Deductibles to new programs
			-Tax structure
				-Deductibles
					-Medicare/Medicaid
						-Effect on costs
			-Problems in health insurance plan
				-Public acceptance

	[General conversation/Unintelligible]

The Vice President and unknown people left at an unknown time before 11:59 pm; unknown people remained

	Health insurance
		-Cable television
		-Exemptions
		-Public Health Service
			-Expansion
			-Use of draft
		-Legislation
		-Public Health Service

Recording was cut off at an unknown time before 11:59 pm