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Miners’ Insurance Plan
A Miners’ Insurance Hospital Plan, the first ofits kind in thispartofthecountry,wasproposedin mid-1850by G.W. Knobel, M.D. Thisinsurance would cost$25 permonth, and personswithnoinsurancewouldpayregularhospitalcharges. The hospital building would be paid for with shares. There wouldbeoneresidentphysicianandtwoconsultants. Outside doctors mightattendpatients but they mustpay for nursing care. The poor would be treated “gratis.” Plans were still beingmade atthe end ofthe year, but no further mention of theMiners’ Hospital Planhas been found. 32
Rememberingthesicknessofprevious monthsandhopingtopreventarepetition,thefollowingnoticebyDrs.James S. Martin and Benjamin R. Carman appeared in the Sacramento Transcript on October 24,1850:
“Inanticipation oftherebeingagreatdeal ofdistress in ourcommunitythisseasonbysickness,the [subscribers]who have been Physicians ofthe Sutter’s Fort Hospital since the first settlement of the city have opened a Free Office of General Dispensary, where those who arenotable to paythe fees of an attending physician, and all others who may patronize our Establishment, can obtain Medicines at a low rate and Advice Gratis.”