Doctors differ with Minister om insurance

Press, 6 July 1983, Page 21

Doctors differ with Minister om insurance

PA Wellington Doctors have criticised the Minister of Health, Mr Malcolm, has said New Zealanders do not need health insurance. Mr Malcolm has said that the health system gave people access to free or cheap high-quality care whether they were insured or not. He rejected the suggestions of doctors that patients were resorting to private health insurance because they could not afford routine visits to the doctor. “I think to attribute the promotion of health insurance to the level of the general medical services payment is too simplistic an

argument,” Mr Malcolm said. “People see an opportunity to collect funds by encouraging the public to believe that they will not be well cared for unless they subscribe to a health scheme.” Mr Malcolm was commenting on a new medical insurance scheme, the Healthcare Fund, which began yesterday and covers day-to-day medical expenses. However, the Medical Association said that Mr Malcolm was out of touch with the hardship some people were facing. The chairman of the association, Dr Dean

Williams, said the growth in private insurance showed that many people believed they needed more help with health payments. “The Medical Association has, on behalf of its patients, been pushing for a long time for Government action on the general medical services benefit,” Dr Williams said. “When we see that the benefit, which began at 75c more than 40 years ago, has had one increase to $1.25, I think that most people would agree that no other subsidy in this country has fared so badly," he said. The benefit is paid to patients when they visit their family doctor.