▁Public ▁Health ▁Service , ▁Dra per ▁went ▁to ▁work ▁for ▁the ▁Health ▁Services ▁Division ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Red ▁Cross . ▁ ▁They ▁had ▁a ▁mand atory ▁ret irement ▁age ▁of ▁ 6 5 , ▁so ▁when ▁he ▁reached ▁this ▁age ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 ▁he ▁planned ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁volunte er ▁there . ▁ ▁However , ▁he ▁was ▁soon ▁contact ed ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁Mine ▁Work ers ▁of ▁America , ▁and ▁accepted ▁an ▁offer ▁to ▁help ▁them ▁admin ister ▁a ▁new ▁w elf are ▁and ▁ret irement ▁fund . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁brought ▁on ▁as ▁the ▁executive ▁medical ▁officer ▁of ▁this ▁fund ' s ▁medical ▁care ▁program , ▁and ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁da un ting ▁task ▁of ▁planning ▁and ▁direct ing ▁health ▁care ▁for ▁nearly ▁one ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁million ▁min ers ▁and ▁their ▁family ▁members . ▁ ▁A ▁gu iding ▁principle ▁of ▁the ▁program ▁was ▁that ▁development ▁and ▁operation ▁of ▁the ▁medical ▁programs ▁rest ed ▁in ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁medical ▁profession als , ▁as ▁opposed ▁to ▁non - med ical ▁administr ators . ▁ ▁While ▁the ▁fund ▁used ▁existing ▁hosp it als ▁to ▁the ▁maximum ▁extent ▁possible , ▁in ▁many ▁min ing ▁areas ▁there ▁were ▁no ▁hosp it als ▁within ▁reasonable ▁distance ▁of ▁the ▁coal ▁mines , ▁and ▁medical ▁services ▁to ▁coal min ers ▁t ended ▁to ▁be ▁of ▁inferior ▁quality ▁in ▁those ▁areas . ▁ ▁The ▁fund ▁at ▁first ▁paid ▁fe es ▁to ▁do ctors , ▁but ▁the ▁question ▁of ▁unnecessary ▁and ▁in comp et ent ▁surg ery ▁soon