A case of infective endocarditis due to a strain of Streptococcus that demonstrated unusual nutritional requirements is reported. This strain was recognized as a nutritional variant because it could not be subcultured on certain routine primary plating and subculture media. The media-dependent recovery of this nutritionally variant Streptococcus is stressed, since media used routinely in some laboratories would result in this organism's being missed. Variability of routine media in supporting the growth of this isolate is also demonstrated.

No abstract

A policy for universal health care in the United States has been proposed by leading health planners. All citizens of the United States should be entitled to basic health care of adequate quality. Basic care should include physicians, hospitals, and clinic services, emergency and preventive care, and certain other treatments and services. Key to this practical health care policy is the method by which it will be financed. This policy combines several widely discussed financial methods such as Medical Individual Retirement Accounts, catastrophic health insurance, and the combination of what is now known as Medicare and Medicaid into one umbrella package. Active competition within the health care delivery system is essential. To prepare the health care consumer for this competitive environment, an active marketing program by providers, corporations, and all levels of government is basic. For such a policy to be implemented, it must be marketed to the legislature, professional organizations within the health and insurance fields, to educators and to the public.