HEALTH SERVICE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 November 1941, Page 4

HEALTH SERVICE

INCREASE IN NUMBER OF PATIENTS UNDER GOVERNMENT SCHEME. POSITION IN MASTERTON. “There has been a substantial increase in the number of patients; it is quite general throughout the district, ’ observed a prominent Masterton medical practitioner this morning, when commenting on the response by the public to the State medical service scheme which came into operation on November 1. It was emphasised, however, that any contract entered into existed between the Government and the patient. There was no contract between the doctors and the Government. Practise was being carried on as previously. There was no change whatever in the relationship between doctor and patient and there had not been any increase in fees.

Referring to the procedure to ba adopted in claiming the benefit from the State, the doctor said that in his opinion the Social Security Department should handle the work and not the Post Office. The Post Office was already overburdened. Describing the procedure he said that it would appear that there was a great deal of confusion concerning the claim for a refund from the Post Office. A form entitled “General Medical Services Certificate and Claim” was available at the Post Office (the doctors had also been provided with a supply) part A and. C of which are required to be filled in by the patient, while part D is the receipt form to be filled in by the doctor. The possession of the receipt enables the patient to get back 7s 6d from the State. The receipt form must be sent to the Medical Officer, Department of Health, Wellington, in the same manner as claims for maternity benefits, together with a nomination of a Post Office at which the voucher issued by the Department can be cashed. No local doctors are using part B of the form, which is the section for doctors who intend claiming direct from the State, which meant that they would be prepared to give consultations foi’ the 7s 6d fee as stipulated in the Act. On inquiry at the Masterton Post Office this morning it was learnt that there had ben a fairly large number of applications for the medical service form.

“We have not had any inquiries concerning claims for benefits under the Act, nor, have we, for that matter, even a copy of the Act,” Mr. J. L. Wood, Social Security Registrar, stated this morning.