SOCIAL SECURITY TAX

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 151, 22 March 1939, Page 12

SOCIAL SECURITY TAX

Lodge Members Seek Refund MEDICAL BENEFITS Discussion At Oddfellows’ Conference By Telegraph—Press Association, AUCKLAND, March 21. A decision to ask the Government to refund to lodge members the social security levy of 1/- in the £ between April 1 and the date upon which the medical and hospital provisions of the Act become operative was reached at the biennial conference of the Manchester Unity, Independent Order of Oddfellows, in Auckland today.

Mr. A. G. Shrimpton, grand secretary, stated that members paid £2/8/year to their lodges for medical and related benefits. The question of whether they should pay the full. 1/in the £ immediately the Act came into operation was one which had still to be settled with the Minister, Mr. Nash. The conference authorized the preparation of legislation to deal with problems arising oqt of the social security scheme and decided to call a special meeting to consider such legislation. Though the Dominion council of the friendly societies had received no information relative to the medical benefits under section 3 of the Act, Mr. Shrimpton expressed his personal opinion that if ever the issue between the Government and the British Medical Association was settled thejnedical officer would receive about 15/- per capital per annum, which would mean ia a household of five a total of £3/15/yearly, whereas the present payment on the same basis was approximately £2/8/-. . , * A suggestion had been received from the Minister that the machinery nowavailable through the friendly societies should be used for the payment of sickness benefits to persons in the households of friendly society members aud for the payment of benefits in small centres where the establishment of an office of the department would be unwarranted. The Government recognized, stated the Minister, that the societies would have to be reimbursed for such service.

It was reported that the Government had given no further indication regarding payments to hospital boards on behalf of members who may receive hospital lie n etits. The suggestion was made that the medical benefits of the Act should be made to date from a time to correspond with the present lodge quarter. The position regarding the maternity allowance of £G now lieing paid to friendly society members was discussed. Information was sought as to whether this would continue when the maternity benefit under the Act came into operation. Mr. G. C. Laws, district secretary, Hawke’s Bay. reported that he had 'been advised that the national provident fund would continue to honour claims tilt tiie Government scheme jcame operative. It was further stated that the Govvruuieat scheme would make it optional for a member to take a benefit under the social security scheme or through the lodge. If taken through the lodge tie? £3OO salary bar would operate, but this would not apply if the benefit was taken under social security. A new rille was adopted to allow t lie society to co-operate wholeheartedly witli the Government in the administration of tiie scheme. HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL BENEFITS Importance Of Simultaneous Introduction By Telegraph—Press Association. NEW PLYMOUTH, March 21. The importance of the simultaneous introduction of the medical practitioner mid hospital benefit schemes provided under the Social Security Act was emphasized by the chairman of the Taranaki Hospital Board, Mr. P. E. Stainton, at a meeting of the board today. The Government, said Mr. Stainton, had been unable to reach an arrangement with the medical profession, but it was anxious to begin the hospital benefit scheme. That would mean absolute chaos in hospital administration. If there was a hospital benefit scheme and no medical practitioner service the public would be entitled to go direct to the hospital for free service, instead of paying a doctor’s fee first. The hospital boards would be unable to give the tremendous service required and would fall very low in public opinion.