SOCIAL SECURITY ACT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 January 1941, Page 7

SOCIAL SECURITY ACT

MEDICAL BENEFITS FINANCIAL ASPECT OF PROPOSALS. I i STATEMENT BY MINISTER I (By Telegraph--Press Association.) DUNEDIN. January 5. i "I shall be very disappointed if the : medical practitioner proposals under i the Social Security scheme are not in j full working order well before the end ) of the current financial year." said the J Minister of Health. ?,Ir. Armstrong, in an interview*.'. | Mr Ai-n mg said it had been 'c. tied ’<> have all arrangements completed th - I'n.nth. but that was not tv w practicable. Final details of the •chi'mv were imw in the hands o! Health Department otTicials, and law draughtsmen, and when that work had I been < :::> ’.•■ted. there would be a large j ante.unt cl pimi'mg to be done in the prcparaWm > . mract cards and other ) mutters relating to the scheme. ; 'We ;=:e njw working on arrangei ments fer oil’we accommodation and ; stalling the varmits centres." Mr. i Armstr ng said, "min it is expected | that the latt* r item will involve the [addition of |5() or 2()0 to the memberI ship of the Health Department's staffs." I Speaking of the financial aspect o the prcposal. the Minister said it was true that maternity benefits had cos'more than was originally estimated, but that was due. partly, if not wholly to the sharp increase in the birth rate, which was revealed in the vita! statistics for the past year. The medical practitioner proposals, he said, "cannot do that, because we know exactly how many people there are in the country, and the scheme cannot cos: ‘ m< re than Hie capitation decided upon Tile figure <■( 15s had been mentionj eci as the proposed capitation rate, bib i Mr. Armstrong said that was not the j ofTicial figure. Actually he had in mind I a smaller sum This capitation would j be paid to doctors willing to accep, contracts made with, individual p:i--i tients The patient, to secure medical j service, would apply to the Social Se- | eurity Department, and would be given j a contract card to take to a doctor of i his own choice, and. if the latter were prepared to take the case, he would .sign the card and become responsible for the treatment of the patient. The doctor had the right of refusal "There will bo no limitation on the i number of patients a doctor may ae- [ ccpt." the Minister added, "but on the i other hand, there will be no medical [examination, such as has been the case ion people joining friendly societies, ; and those not physically fit will be just i as eligible for benefits as others."