042878  Letter to Tar Connell re: 141 receive $29,000 in guardian fees

Dear Ms Tar Connell

Your article entitled 141 receive $29,000 in guardian fees in 1977 which appeared in The Herald Statesman, Sunday, April 23, serves a useful purpose by cautioning those who award and those who receive the awards that a reasonable relationship should exist between service rendered and fee received. It also serves, I think, to quiet malicious rumors that the fees are exorbitant, etc.

Like the lawyers many doctors receive fees for their service through governmental channels. For example many doctors are paid allegedly substantial fees to perform abortions. Publishing the names of those doctors who during 1977 have been paid for their abortion services should enable the citizens to gain a more accurate understanding of the relationship between services performed and the remuneration received.

I suggest that you prepare an article listing such information as name of doctor, number of abortions performed, fees received, where performed, and such other data you find to be available and pertinent as you examine the records so that readers will obtain a comprehensive picture. General comments regarding age and marital status of patients, per cent of fees from federal, state, and local sources would seem to be valuable.

If the information is accessible, listing the names of those doctors who reside in Westchester but who render their services in the environs of Westchester - New York City, Long Island, Rockland and Putnam would help to round out the picture.

 Patrick H. McHugh