HEALTH INSURANCE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 188, 26 August 1937, Page 6

HEALTH INSURANCE

— PresB 'AssoeiaticmA

Should. Not- Be. Introduced Without Complete Data ■ ■ i COUNTIES' OPINION

'{By Telejraph

WELLINGTON, This 3}ay. The legislation for the establishment Of a national health-ins-urance scheme should not be introduced until more complete information is available, was tne opinion expressed by the president of the New Zealand Counties' Association, Mr C. J. Talbot, Fairlie, in his address to the biennial conferf^ce of xhat body in Wellington yesterday. "The incidence of hospital rating has been a burning question among county councils during the past two decades, as it has been felt that rural ratepayers have been' paying more than iheir share of hispital rates, without receiving an equivalent in hospital benefits," Mr Talbot said. "Eecent inyestigations made by the association have shown that the allocation of the hospital ievy on capital value and population combined would not give the xelief expected to rural Tatepayers. ' "As sickaess and disability ' aro alWays present in every community, it »eems to be the duty of a modern State, as guardians of public health and national prOsperity, $o inaugurate a national health scheme, to promote and maintain the health of the community. As only 21 per cent of those assisted in our hospitals pay their -tees, modern opinion supports the principle of some compulsory sickness and hospital scheme in order to provide hospital authorities with some protection against those who want'to sliirk, or who cannot meet, their finaucial pbligations. "Since last conference a meeting of fielegates from the Municipal Association, the Hospitals' Association and the Gounties ' Association was held to discuss the thorny problem of hospital rating, and the following de'cisions were agreed to: (a) That the Government "be urged to promote a compulsory national health-insuran.ee scheme for medical, dental and hospital treatment. (b) That the financing of such * scheme be met by compulsory contributions from employera and employees, »ubsidised by the Government, and that provision be made for the inclusion of .workers on their owh account — for example, farmers and small business men. * "Although these decisions were arrived at in the absence of any tentative scheme from the Government, it mas felt that they were sound and in aecord with the modern principle of ■eeuring revenue.for the upkeep of our hospitals. "One of 'the recent • reports of the lnternational Labour Bureau at treneva stated: 'Earely has a sociai cloctrine asserted itself with such foree, and xarely has it met with such uuiversal acceptance in so short' a timo. After 40 years of experiment, umnterrupted effort. and success iu all paris of the world, compulsory sickness insurance appears likely to occupy an increasingiy nnportant pfaee in tiie aocial legislation of ' every eountry. ' On the other hand, the British Medical Association writes thus in its booklet, *A Flaxi for Aational Insurance': — 'This association, therefore, earnestly yiges that legislation should be delayed, until full data is available, complete investigation has been made, and the people and tneir representatives have xeaclied tormed conclusions. ' f "As an ordxuary layinan, i niust cou- . iess tnat 1 ain in agreement with the yrlewg of the B.M.A., as up to the pre•ent national healtii-insuraxice is quite iieuulous."