HEALTH INSURANCE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 213, 9 August 1937, Page 9

HEALTH INSURANCE

REPLY TO DR. R. CASHMORE. BY CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEE. Per Press Association. AVELLINGTON, Aug. 8. “In liis address to the Hastings Rotary Club Dr Caslnnore complains that the Government’s health insurance scheme will react to the detriment of the standard of medical practice in New Zealand,” said Dr D. G. McMillan, M.P., chairman of the National Health Insurance Committee, interviewed to-day. “Dr Cashmore’s statement seems to indicate that medical men are more devoted to fees than to the science of medicine. I cannot accept such a low estimation of the medical profession in this country.”

* AHSITOR’S ADVICE.

AUCKLAND. Aug. 6. Disagreement with a national superannuation scheme based upon a general tax that does not distinguish J>etween the means of the various classes of the peoplo was expressed by Hon. A. G. Ogilvie, Labour Premier of Tasmania, who arrived at Auckland by the Monterey from Los Angeles on his way back to Australia from attending the Imperial Conference. He also found fault with any national health scheme based upon the panel system, and suggested that New Zealand had not done as much as it should have done to look after the health of its country and backblock population. “Superannuation should certainly be national irrespective of the individual’s means,” said Mr Ogilvie, “although I cannot agree with a scheme which, like the sales tax and customs tax, imposes a liability upon everybody, irrespective of what they can afford to pay. This system can be most unfair, taxing those who cannot afford it just as much as those who have plenty of money. “National superannuation should be regarded as a right and not as a charity. The trouble with some pension schemes is that they penalise the thrifty. A man who has led a useful and thrifty life and lias saved £IOOO is not entitled to a pension under such a scheme, whereas very often the penniless is able to obtain a pension. In many cases such a system becomes a premium upon inefficiency. “Superannuation should be like education —it should be an equal right for everybody. It should also be based upon a means tax. In fact, all taxation should bs based upon what the individual is able to pay.” His Government had recognised the need for a reorganisation of health care in Tasmania, said Mr Ogilvie, and had decided to institute State medical officers. The scheme would be started at the beginning of next year, and 10 men would ho sent into the country districts for a start. Each would have a definite territory, dispensary house and motor car, and would bo responsible for the health of the people in his area, being paid not on the number of cases, but upon the preventive nature of their work. At the end of five years he expected that health insurance in Tasmania would be on the same basis as education. Mr Ogilvie said lie did not think highly of a national health insurance scheme based upon the panel system. It had been tried elsewhere and had failed, as was the case in Vancouver. The English panel system ha.d also failed to give complete satisfaction. He had no fears of getting sufficient doctors for the Tasmanian health plan. If he could not get them from Tasmania lie would go to Australia, ami if ho could not get them there he would get them from England or even Germany. . . , The British Medical Association had regarded the scheme with trepidation when it was announced, and he had told the Tasmanian branch what his intentions were. If ho could not get local support, if necessary he would bring some of the Jewish doctors vho had been exiled from Germany, but he would not- do that unless he was forced to. While he was in England, however,, he ha.d been told he could get as many doctors from Great Britain as he wanted, and applications had already been sent from all over England.