ACCIDENT CASES

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20094, 25 November 1930, Page 4

ACCIDENT CASES

PAYMENT OF HOSPITAL I'EES. ii'ttESj ASSOCIATION 'i tLSaSAiI.'. WELLINGTON, November 2i. Tho secretary of the New Zealand Hospital Boards' Association (Mr iJ. Cannons) made a statement to-day iu regard to the recent judgment of the Supreme Court as to compensation gran fed in accident cases, ami the payment of hospital accountß. "Returns from a number of Hospital Boards reveal considerable losses on account of hospital fees for accident casos including, unfortunately, foes incurred by persons without dopendonts able but un%villlng to pay. Unpaid hospital accounts for the past year, of persons without dependents, who are well able but unwilling to meet their obligations out of insuranco moneys received, vary in amount from £2OO in the casfl of smaller hospitals, to over £IOOO iu the case of larger hospitals. "Hospital Boards have no power to enforce payment of hospital fees from insuranco moneys, and usually solely depond on tho kind offices of thoao solicitors handling the insurance moneys, which offices arg highly appreciated by the Boards concerned. Representations have boon made to the Government to have hospital fees paid out of tho insurance, where such payment does not inflict hardship, but this was not taken up by the Government, except as provided under tho Workers' Compensation Amendment Act (dropped at tho end of last session), by which tho medical allowance under the Act was to be increased from £1 to £25, out of which hospital foes wero to bo paid direct to the hospital concerned. "In spite of the co-operation of solicitors in effecting the settlement of hospital claims, many claims do not come under their control, considerable losses are incurred by Hospital Boards, and some further protection, such as that mentioned by Mr Justice Reed, or us could ho provided by legislation, appears to be desirable.''