HEALTH INSURANCE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 178, 14 August 1937, Page 7

HEALTH INSURANCE

-PresB Assn.-

Principal Provisions of Australian Plan • I t 1 £365 INCOME LIMIT

(By Telegraph-

— Oopsright.)

; ■ OANBERRA, Aug, 13. 1 A -nation&l health insurance plan for A-UktfaHa, doveriag Sll emf)lnyees aged; 46 and over (except those Who ate ndt manual lab'ouiers receiving more than '£365 a year) ii iecommehded ih thh report of Sir Walter Kinnea#) Controller of ihe Insurancb Department, Iritish •Ministry of Health, who h?as engkged by the Gommonwealtli G'bvemment to report upbh the kubjeet. The behefits suggestbd are . free medieal attendance 'and treatment; The siekness bbnefit for meii is set • down at. £l a tveek, women 15s and 3s 6d a week fot each dcpendent child under 16. The disablernent bcnefit recommendcd is: Men 15s, .women -12s Gd find 3s 6d weekly ^for •jdepe'ndefit children. , The compulsory contributions would ibe: Meh, is 3d; of whish the employer 'and employee pay 74d each; women, jls §d, of which the employer and emiployee pay 7d eaeh. i A -fridbw's, orphhU's ahd. old-age cqnitribut'ory pensions plan, closely inter•lccked with the suggested hehlth.ihsufanco project, is also recommended. Sir Walter. Kinnh'af proposel that the (Jommonwealth shfruld start a pensiohs plan with a gi'ant 6f oue fhilli&n poUnds a year for the first fiVe years, thercafter increascd at the rato of half a million until it reaehes a maximum of ten millions in 1'9'60, When the •grant would be stabilised. . Contfibdtions by insured " perehia would cease at 60 in tho case of men Vud 60 for Women. Old-age pehsioners | should have free medieal benefits fbr ilife. ' * •