MEDICAL BENEFITS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 February 1941, Page 6

MEDICAL BENEFITS

UNDER SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEME

AVAILABLE FROM MARCH 1.

ANNOUNCEMENT BY MINISTER OF HEALTH.

<By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day.

The intention of the Government to introduce the general practitioner service under the Social Security Act on March I was announced hist night by the Minister of Health, Mr Nordmeyer, Free out-patient treatment at hospitals is also to be made available from the same date, and Hie Gnvernmeni expects that the pharmaceutical benefits will he in operalinn by April 1.

Regulations dealing with the provision of medical benefits were also gazetted last night. Provision is made for the payment from the Social Security Fund of a capitation fee of 15s a year to every doctor who agrees to provide the proscribed benefits. This fee will be paid in respect of every person on a doctor’s list, including children. In consideration of the receipt of this sum (lie doctor is required to give all necessary medical care to those persons he has agreed to accept on his list and who live within three miles of his surgery. Special arrangements are made for the payment of a mileage allowance in the case of persons living beyond that distance from the doctor's surgery.

Mr Nordmeyer said the general practitioner service now to be provided would extend still further the principle of social insurance. He appealed j to the public to co-operate with the i medical profession and not to make unreasonable demands. The Minister explained that legislation would be introduced at the coming session of Parliament to ensure that doctors serving in the armed forces were guaranteed in the first year after their return to practice not less than the income which they earned from their profession during the last complete year before departure. Tiie regulations generally set out the scope of the medical benefits to be provided, that is, medical services which can be provided by an ordinary general practitioner. They do not include maternity benefits which are alread)' provided for, the administration of anaesthetics for which a separate fee may bo charged, nor specialist services. Those specialist services are defined as those which “involve the application of special skill and oxperi-1 once of a degree or kind that general medical practitioners as a class cannot reasonably be expected to possess.” "It is proposed/’ the Ministed stated, “to begin a free outpatient service at the same time as the general practitioner service commences. It has been regarded by the Government as an anomaly that persons inside the hospital receive free care while those who attend as outpatients have been charged. This will be remedied, and arrangements will be entered into with the various hospital boards whereby outpatient treatment, so far as it covers ordinary general practitioner care, will bo available.”

NO CHANGE — IN ATTITUDE OF DOCTORS. CO-OPERATION REFUSED. (By Telegraph—Tress Association.) WELLINGTON This Day, Doctors belonging to the British Medical Association will not co-operate in the general practitioner scheme, stated the president of the New Zealand branch of the I! M A , Dr. J. P. S Jamieson, of Nelson, List night. He said that the attitude of the association was unaltered. Dr. Jamieson said the Government had not consulted the association any further, in arranging the details of the scheme. The association was still entirely opposed to h: it' attitude was! absolutely unchanged Dr Jamie.-on - iid he did md l.tt>>u ' where the CoVerimK-nt was gmng tel find enough genet -I |>r,ictitiuuci -u,! put the seheiiii- into operation. ‘‘They! won’t get any sort of general practioner service worth t!i • name." he added.' "Whatever they legislate, wo prefer tt>| keep our safety in our-own hands. We. prefer to continue to manage our own' affair'' " WAIRARAP/\ DOCTORS ADHERING TO DECISION OF B.M.A. MEDICAL AITENTION NEVER REFUSED. I As far as ran be mahered. me pus!-' tian m tiid W:i>.!itrap;t i: that members j :>1 till' medical profession are mlhering i to tile decision <>f the B.M A am! are in agreement with the slews express-! d by its pre-idyn!, |)i Jumies.m. 11; is peii’tix! out that no one m t.'ie Winrarapa goes without medical nttentiosi| ilifougli inability to pay fur if. That I h:is always been the ruse, a i: Mated, and will ’ror.tinuc to l>e »