Authority Given For Provision Of Massage Benefits

Taranaki Daily News, 24 August 1942, Page 4

Authority Given For Provision Of Massage Benefits

Wellington, August 22. Authority for the provision of a massage benefit is contained in regulations gazetted this week. As from a commencing date to be named by the Minister, any registered masseur may enter into a contract with the medical officer of health to provide benefits. These can be provided only on the written recommendation of a doctor (given after the date the scheme comes into operation) setting out the name and address of the patient, the type of treatment recommended, and the period (not being longer than four weeks), and sign6d and dated by the doctor. No treatment is to come within the scope of the scheme if it is given more than six weeks after the date of the doctor's recommendation or more than four weeks after the date of the first treatment given under the recommendation, but if a further period of treatment is required this may be autborised by the doctor. A fee of 3s 6d is payable from the social security fund in respect of each treatment, but only One fee is payable if more than one treatment is given to a pereson on any one day. The right to claim these payments is subject to an undertaking required to be given by the masseur that he will not ask the patient to pay, in addition to the social security fee, more than 3s 6d a treatment, if it is given in his rooms, and more than 7s if it is siven elsewhere. There is provision for private arrangements to be made on behalf of a patient as a result of which treatment given to him is not considered as a massage benefit, and the rates to be paid for treatment are then a matter of private arrangement. All claims for payment from the fund must be made within two months after the end of the period named in the doctor's recommendation. Asked when these regulations would come into force. the Minister of Health, the 'Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer, said he hoped it would be possible to name September 1 as the commencing date. The date would be stated in a later Gazette,