MEDICAL BENEFITS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 December 1940, Page 7

MEDICAL BENEFITS

GENERAL PRACTITIONER SERVICE LEGISLATION SUBMITTED. AMENDMENT OF ORIGINAL PROPOSALS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. The provision of a general practitioner service on the basis of a mutual arrangement between medical practitioners and patients is made by an amendment to the -Social Security Act contained in the Finance Bill (No. 4), which was introduced and read a first time in the Mouse of Representatives last night. The benefits under this amendment are to include "all proper and necessary services of medical practitioners except such services as may, in accordance with regulations, be excluded therefrom, either absolutely or in special circumstances to be defined in the regulations." The amendment states that if any question arises as to whether any service provided by a medical practitioner is within the scope of medical benefits it shall be decided by the Ministei of Health after consultation with the advisory committee provided for undei the principal Act.

A medical practitioner qualified t< provide this service and any person entitled to claim medical benefits foi. himself, or for any member of his family, may mutually agree in the prescribed form and manner for the provision of the service. Medical practitioners undertaking the service will be entitled to a prescribed capitation fee for each person but no other payment, with the exception of mileage fees tc be computed in accordance with regulations.

The sections in Bart 3 of the principal Act dealing with the scope of medical benefits, the making of contracts between the Minister and practitioners, and the selection by beneficiaries of medical practitioners are repealed