NATIONAL INSURANCE ACT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1598, 15 November 1912, Page 5

NATIONAL INSURANCE ACT.

DOCTOES STILL DISSATISFIED. By Telegraph-Prees Aseooiation-Oopyrtebtr London, • November 13. i .Meetings of doctors, held in many pro-j vincial centres, were practically unanimous in. Tefusing tho amended proposals of Mr. Lloyd-George, Chancellor of the Exchequer, by-which- the medical benefit under the Notional Insurance Act would be increased to Bs. Gd, per insured person por annum, including drugs. ; The doctors are demanding: a payment of Bs. 6d. per insured person per annuffl, exclusive of medicines and eitras, Me Government, which at first had offered 65., has since advanesd its rate to Bs. 6a., inclusive of drugs. This latter figure was reported in previous messages to have been accepted in London ae a satisfactory basis of compromise. ■«,„«• The contention of tho dqcfcpTs is that they-will not attend 20 million persons upon terms similar to-thoso upon which they have been willing bo attond 4} mil-' lion club members in the past. They s&y that they cannot lira by-this contract practice alone, and that by extending it to all those who receive less than- £160 a year they will be robbed of a great majority of the patients who can afford to pay them reasonable fees. There are -other important roasons for their refusal to allow the indefinite, extension of ft system which is calculated te lower the standard and efficiency of their profession, but the ono point of present importance is that they do refuse, and that they are not ia the "least likely to be bullied into aocopting tho bargain with which they are commended to agree.